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Deepak Punia Wins 92kg Gold at Senior Open Ranking Wrestling Tournament

Deepak Punia won the 92kg gold medal at the Senior Open Ranking Wrestling Tournament in Gonda. The freestyle section saw 593 wrestlers compete across various weight categories. The tournament has now transitioned to Greco-Roman style, with quarterfinals and semifinals underway. WFI President Sanjay Singh praised the high caliber of domestic athletes.

Key Points: Deepak Punia Wins Gold at Senior Open Ranking Wrestling

  • Deepak Punia wins 92kg gold medal
  • 593 wrestlers participate in freestyle events
  • Greco-Roman semifinals set in 82kg, 87kg divisions
  • Abhimanu and Ashish reach 97kg gold match
3 min read

Senior Open Ranking Wrestling: Deepak Punia secures 92kg gold as the freestyle section concludes

Deepak Punia secures 92kg gold at Senior Open Ranking Wrestling. Greco-Roman matches intensify as WFI praises athlete depth.

"The conclusion of the freestyle events today showcased exceptional skill, highlighted by Deepak Punia's commendable run to secure the 92kg gold. - Sanjay Singh"

Gonda, May 11

The Wrestling Federation of India on Monday announced the conclusion of the men's freestyle events at the Senior Open Ranking Tournament 2026, held at Nandininagar Mahavidyalaya, Gonda, on Monday.

The national ranking competition recorded a total participation of 593 wrestlers competing across various designated weight categories.

In the 92kg freestyle division, Deepak Punia (Haryana) secured the gold medal and the top national ranking. Punia advanced to the final round following a semifinal victory over Raja (Haryana), ultimately defeating Vansh (Haryana) in the gold medal bout.

In the 125kg heavyweight division, Rohit (Haryana) progressed through the tournament bracket following a closely contested victory over Anirudh (Haryana) in Match No. 179, resulting in Anirudh's elimination. Rohit went on to secure a bronze medal in the category.

As the tournament transitioned to the Greco-Roman style, several athletes have secured crucial placements in the late knockout stages. In the 82kg division, Umesh successfully advanced out of the quarterfinals to book his spot in the semifinals.

The 87kg category saw Sagar, Manoj Kumar, Manav Sharma, and Tejpal win their respective quarterfinal bouts to lock in the final four semifinal positions. In the heavier weight classes, Abhimanu and Ashish have confirmed their places in the 97kg gold medal match, while Mehar Singh confidently progressed to the 130kg tournament final.

Speaking on the tournament's progress, Sanjay Singh, President, Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), said, "The conclusion of the freestyle events today showcased exceptional skill, highlighted by Deepak Punia's commendable run to secure the 92kg gold. As the Greco-Roman matches intensify, we continue to see the high calibre and depth of our domestic athletes."

Final freestyle tournament results:

57kg Freestyle: Gold - Sagar | Silver - Rupesh | Bronze - Lakshay & Sahil

61kg Freestyle: Gold - Abhishek | Silver - Bhuvanesh | Bronze - Vivek & Sandeep

65kg Freestyle: Gold - Sawan Satish | Silver - Udit | Bronze - Ajay & Abhishek Dha

70kg Freestyle: Gold - Anuj Kumar | Silver - Tejveer Singh | Bronze - Rakesh Kumar & Naveen

74kg Freestyle: Gold - Yash | Silver - Sourabh Sehr | Bronze - Naveen & Nishant Ruhi

79kg Freestyle: Gold - Naveen | Silver - Sachin | Bronze - Ritik Rana & Parvinder

86kg Freestyle: Gold - Deepak | Silver - Sahil Dalal | Bronze - Pushpender D & Aniket

92kg Freestyle: Gold - Deepak Punia | Silver - Vansh | Bronze - Raja & Robin Singh

97kg Freestyle: Gold - Prthivraj | Silver - Parveen Kumar | Bronze - Vishal & Ramdhan

125kg Freestyle: Gold - Shubham Dhil | Silver - Chirag | Bronze - Rohit & Karandeep

- IANS

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Reader Comments

S
Sneha F
Great to see Greco-Roman getting attention too! Umesh in 82kg, Sagar and Manoj Kumar in 87kg—we need more wrestlers to dominate on the world stage. But I wish the coverage mentioned the women's events as well. Wrestling in India needs equal spotlight for all genders. Still, proud of the athletes! 🙌
R
Rohit L
Haryana domination again! But this is good—they have the best infrastructure and akharas. The real test will be at Asian Games and Olympics. Deepak Punia needs consistency, not just domestic glory. Remember Vinesh Phogat's journey? That's the level we need from all wrestlers.🤼
T
Tanvi S
Another tournament, another set of Haryanvi winners. But let's be real—the system is still messed up with politics. WFI president Sanjay Singh talks about 'high calibre,' but we need transparency in selections and better grassroots scouting in states like UP, Maharashtra and Kerala. Good for Deepak though! 🏆
K
Karthik V
593 wrestlers across categories! This is massive for Indian wrestling. The 125kg final between Shubham Dhil and Chirag must have been intense—heavyweight bouts are always thrilling. I hope the government increases funding for these athletes, especially those from non-traditional wrestling states. Kudos to all participants!🌟
N
Naveen S
Good results but I'm concerned about parity. Almost all golds went to Haryana wrestlers—that shows lack of competition from other states. The WFI should organize camps in regions

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