National Wrestling Championship: Rise of Young Wrestlers, a New Road from the Akhada to the Olympic Mat

The National Wrestling Championship concluded late on Sunday night at the sports complex in Sonipat. Over four days, more than 620 wrestlers from 22 states and eight railway and services teams took part. Medals were decided across 30 weight categories in freestyle, Greco-Roman and women's sections. According to the organisers, the number of wrestlers aged 18 to 23 was about 22 per cent higher than last year, a clear sign of a generational shift in domestic wrestling. In the men's freestyle 57 kg category, Vikram Singh Rathi of Haryana won the title for the second consecutive time. In the final he beat Sahil Dahiya of Uttar Pradesh 7-3. The first period ended 2-2, but in the second half Rathi collected points through two single-leg attacks and a counter. After the bout, Rathi said he had spent the last six months working mainly on grip strength and the technique of rising from the bottom, which helped him in the decisive moments. In the 74 kg category, Ravindra Pal won on technical superiority in both the semifinal and the final. In 65 kg, Sandeep Yadav took gold without conceding a single point, while Amit Saroha of Maharashtra claimed the 86 kg title after building a 4-2 lead in the final. Across these three categories, 14 wrestlers reached a national-level medal for the first time. The Greco-Roman section was relatively more defensive. In the 60 kg final, Harjinder Singh of Punjab changed his grip in the last 30 seconds to secure two points and win 3-2. Technical officials said referees were stricter this time about the use of the legs, and several bouts were decided after passivity warnings. After a two-week special camp with a foreign expert coach, many wrestlers showed improved grip technique. The women's section attracted the most attention this time. In 53 kg, Meera Chauhan took two points in the final moments to win 5-4. In 62 kg, Neha Sangwan won all three of her bouts on technical superiority, while Kajal Boora in 68 kg and Gurpreet Kaur in 76 kg took gold and silver respectively. A total of 214 entries were recorded in the women's section, the highest in the history of the competition. National camp head coach Ranbir Singh Tomar said the biggest challenge is balancing the akhada tradition with modern sports science. According to him, the grip and balance developed on a mud akhada also help a wrestler on the mat, but scientific methods are essential for weight management, recovery and injury prevention. Women's team coach Sunita Devi said the number of girls coming from villages has risen sharply over the past five years. She said parents' trust has grown and women coaches are now available even at the district level. She also identified information on training and nutrition during menstruation, safe accommodation and the availability of women physiotherapists as priorities for the next phase. At the grassroots level, the role of Khelo India and state sports schools continues to grow. At least 12 medallists at this championship had trained at a Khelo India centre at some point. For these wrestlers from small towns and rural areas, the biggest challenge is access to good training partners, mats and nutrition, work on which has now begun at the district level. A separate session was held on nutrition and weight management. A sports nutrition expert said many young wrestlers lose strength and stamina by trying to cut weight rapidly before a bout. The advice was that weight loss should be done in phases six to eight weeks before a competition, with only light hydration balance maintained in the final 48 hours. Changes were also visible in the use of technology. Several state teams prepared the next day's strategy based on video recordings of bouts. The analysis team deployed in Sonipat said data was compiled on wrestlers' patterns of releasing grips and their tendency to score in the second half, which helped plan improvements before the semifinals. Awareness about injuries also increased. The medical team this time included two physiotherapists and an orthopaedic consultant. According to the organisers, shoulder and knee injuries were the most common, and three wrestlers had to withdraw for safety reasons. Coaches have demanded that regular screening and taping facilities be provided at district-level camps as well. Funding and employment remain major challenges. Many wrestlers continue training on the strength of jobs in the railways, police and other departments. This time some private companies expressed interest in sponsoring top medallists, but that support does not reach wrestlers at the lower level. Experts say a sustainable funding model and local equipment support are needed for long-term survival. There was also discussion about transparency in the selection process. The federation said trial dates for international competitions will be announced in advance and that score sheets and videos will be made public. Some state associations have demanded that the rules on changing weight categories be clarified so that young wrestlers do not face uncertainty. Preparation for the next season has already begun. According to the federation, the national camp will start next month and about 40 selected wrestlers from this championship will be invited. The team for the Asian Championship and the ranking series will be selected after that. Coaches say that to survive on the international mat, special attention will be paid to footwork, the speed of changing grips and fitness for the final 30 seconds. At the closing ceremony, medallists were felicitated and a new ranking system for the junior section was announced. Organisers said that from next year the competition will include separate under-15 and under-17 categories so that athletes gain competitive experience from a young age. Overall, this championship shows that the base of Indian wrestling is widening, but turning that into international success will require sustained work on the trio of nutrition, medical care and financial support.