Sujeet Kalkal Stars as Delhi Dangal Warriors Dominate UP Dominators in PWL 2026

With both teams coming into the contest with one win each from their first two matches, the tie holds significant importance, as the winner will move to four points in the standings.

Delhi set the tone early in the 86kg men's bout as Vafaeipour Hadi Bakhtiar used effective par terre wrestling to defeat Mykhailov Vasyl 7-4. Bakhtiar built a crucial first-period cushion through a takedown and exposure points before holding off a late comeback attempt from Vasyl in the second period.

The momentum continued in the 76kg women's bout, where Anastasiya Alpyeeva recovered from an early setback to dominate Ojo Damola Hannah 11-2, taking control decisively in the closing phase with a takedown-and-turn sequence.

The 74kg men's contest further strengthened Delhi's grip on the tie, as Turan Bayramov remained patient and disciplined to register a 3-0 win over Abhimanyu Mandwal. Bayramov opened the scoring with an activity point before executing a clean takedown in Period 2, maintaining his unbeaten record in the league.

UP Dominators responded through U20 World Champion Tapsya Gahlawat in the 57kg women's bout. Gahlawat produced a composed performance, combining an early push-out with sharp second-period takedowns to secure an 8-2 victory and put UP on the scoreboard.

The defining contest of the opening half came in the 65kg men's category, where Delhi captain and U23 World Champion Sujeet Kalkal delivered a statement performance. Kalkal overwhelmed Vishal Kali Raman with relentless attacks, scoring repeatedly through takedowns and exposure sequences across both periods. He accelerated sharply during the Power Minute to seal a dominant technical superiority victory, stretching Delhi's lead to 4-1 after the first five bouts out of a nine-bout match.

Team score after five bouts: UP Dominators 1-4 Delhi Dangal Warriors

- IANS