Baku (Azerbaijan): India’s women wrestlers delivered strong podium finishes at the 2026 U17 World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, bringing home a silver and two bronze medals in highly competitive weight categories.
Leading the charge in the 57kg division, Nikita Sehrawat put together a brilliant campaign to reach the championship final. Facing a formidable opponent in the reigning U17 World silver medallist Epenesa Elison of the USA, Nikita fought valiantly but ultimately sustained a 0-6 defeat. She finished second on the podium, securing a well-deserved silver medal for India.
In the 49kg category, Kamna Babal showcased excellent resilience to claim the bronze medal. Following a semifinal setback against Japan’s Saika Uchida, Kamna bounced back in the third-place play-off against Russia’s Irina Tsydeeva. In a tense and closely fought bout, the Indian grappler edged out her opponent with a 3-2 victory to secure her spot on the podium.
Adding to the nation’s tally, Garima delivered a dominant performance in the 73kg bronze medal match. After a narrow 5-7 loss to USA’s Kaili Manuel in the semifinals, the former U15 Asian Champion regrouped effectively. She completely outclassed Spain’s Paula Benaixa Perez, registering a flawless 10-0 victory by technical superiority (VSU) to win the bronze.
Earlier, in the 60kg Greco-Roman category at the U17 World Championships in Baku, India’s Darpan Raju Chaudhari kept his campaign alive by securing a hard-fought 5-3 victory (VPO1) over Greece’s Pavlos Tsentidis in the repechage round.
Consolidated results:
57kg: Nikita Sehrawat (India) vs. Epenesa Elison (USA); 0-6
49kg: Kamna Babal (India) vs. Irina Tsydeeva (Russia); 3-2
73kg: Garima (India) vs. Paula Benaixa Perez (Spain); 10-0, VSU.
(IANS)
