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Indian Wrestling Squads Picked for Asian Championships and Beach Asian Games

The Wrestling Federation of India has announced the squads for the 2026 Senior Asian Wrestling Championships and the Beach Asian Games. In a major upset during the selection trials, Meenakshi Goyat defeated two-time World Championship bronze medallist Antim Panghal in the women's 53kg final. Other notable selections include Aman, Sandeep Singh Mann, and Sunil Kumar across the freestyle and Greco-Roman disciplines. The continental championships are set to be held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan from April 6-12.

Key Points: Indian Wrestling Squads for Asian Championships Announced

  • Meenakshi Goyat upsets Antim Panghal
  • Squads for Asian Championships & Beach Games announced
  • Trials held across weight categories
  • Event scheduled for April in Kyrgyzstan
3 min read

Wrestling Federation picks squads for Sr Asian Championships; Beach Asian Games

WFI selects teams for 2026 Senior Asian Wrestling Championships and Beach Asian Games. Meenakshi Goyat upsets Antim Panghal in trials.

"It was a big performance by Meenakshi as she had lost to Antim a couple of times in the trials earlier, but came back strongly this time - Report"

New Delhi, March 17

Woman grapplers Meenakshi Goyat, Hanshika, and Mansi Lather, along with male freestyle competitors Aman, Sandeep Singh Mann, Mukul Dahiya, and Greco-Roman Style contestants Sachin Sehrawat and Sunil Kumar, topped their respective weight categories in the selection trials for the 2026 Senior Asian Wrestling Championship.

The top continental event is scheduled to be held at Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) from April 6 to 12, with the Indian wrestlers hoping to perform well in the competition.

Meenakshi Goyat, who has previously competed in 50kg several times and has recently settled in 53kg, shocked everyone by overcoming Antim Panghal, the two-time World Championship bronze medallist, in the final bout of the women's 53 kg trials.

It was a big performance by Meenakshi as she had lost to Antim a couple of times in the trials earlier, but came back strongly this time to beat the top contender in this weight category. It was a well-fought clash with both grapplers trying their best to overcome the other. Antim is a three-time medallist in the Asian Championship, while the 25-year-old Meenakshi is a two-time national champion and trains in Sonepat under former national coach Kuldeep Malik.

In another interesting competition in the 50kg, Neelam, who defeated Shivani in the previous round, outclassed Priyanshi in the final, winning by technical superiority.

The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has also picked the squad to participate in the Beach Asian Games, which is scheduled to be held in China.

The list of wrestlers selected for the 2026 Senior Asian Wrestling Championship:

Free Style:

57 Kg. Ankush DEL

61 Kg. Aman RSPB

65 Kg. Sujeet HAR

70 Kg. Abhimanyou HAR

74 Kg. Jaideep HAR

79 Kg. Sandeep Singh Mann PB

86 Kg. Mukul Dahiya DEL

92 Kg. Punit Kumar HAR

97 Kg. Vicky HAR

125 Kg. Dinesh HAR

Greek-Roman Style

55 Kg. Lalit SSCB

60 Kg. Sahil HAR

63 Kg. Sunny HAR

67 Kg. Sachin Sehrawat SSCB

72 Kg. Anil HAR

77 Kg. Aman SSCB

82 Kg. Prince HAR

87 Kg. Sunil Kumar RSPB

97 Kg. Nitesh RSPB

130 Kg. Joginder Rathi HAR

Women Wrestling

50 Kg. Neelam UP

53 Kg. Meenakshi HAR

55 Kg. Hanshika HAR

57 Kg. Manisha HAR

59 Kg. Neha HAR

62 Kg. Mansi RSPB

65 Kg. Monika RAJ

68 Kg. Mansi Lather HAR

72 Kg. Harshita RSPB

76 Kg. Kajal HAR

The following wrestlers have also been selected for participation in the Beach Asian Games scheduled to be held in China:

Free Style

70 Kg. Siddharth HAR

80 Kg. Amit HAR

90 Kg. Aryan HAR

90+ Kg. Jaspooran Singh HAR

Women Wrestling

50 Kg. Priyanshi Prajapat MP

60 Kg. Pushpa Yadav UP

70 Kg. Jaspreet Kaur PB

70+ Kg. Priya Malik HAR

- IANS

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Reader Comments

A
Arjun K
Good to see a mix of experienced and new names. But I have a respectful criticism: the article mentions "topped their respective categories" but doesn't explain the selection process clearly. Were these the only trials? How many wrestlers competed? More transparency from WFI would be good.
R
Rohit P
Haryana Power! Just look at the list - HAR, HAR, HAR. So many wrestlers from our state. Proud moment. Aman, Sandeep, Mukul, Sunil Kumar - bring home the gold! 💪
S
Sarah B
Interesting to see Beach Wrestling getting a separate team for the Asian Games. It's a different sport altogether. Hope our athletes get proper training for the sand. Best of luck to Priyanshi, Pushpa, and Jaspreet!
V
Vikram M
Heartbreak for Antim Panghal, but that's sports. Meenakshi's comeback story is inspiring. Losing earlier but winning when it matters most – that's the spirit of a true athlete. The women's team looks very strong this time.
M
Michael C
The depth in Indian wrestling is impressive. Two major continental events, two different squads. Greco-Roman still needs more focus though. Good to see SSCB (Services) athletes like Sachin Sehrawat doing well.

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