Daijiworld Media Network - Lucknow
Lucknow, Sep 15: World No 1 grappler Sujeet Kalkal emerged victorious in the 65kg Freestyle category at the national selection trials held in Lucknow on Tuesday.
Alongside Kalkal, standout performers including Yash, Sachin, and Abhimanyu secured top finishes in their respective weight divisions, setting up a final trial showdown with the Asian Games-bound contingent for coveted berths at the Senior World Wrestling Championships 2026, scheduled to take place in Astana, Kazakhstan, from October 24 to November 1.
Sujeet Kalkal triumphed in a highly competitive 65kg field by defeating Anujj Kumar 8-3 in the final. Trials for the four non-Olympic weight classes are slated to be held later.
Freestyle Category Results
In other Freestyle action, Yash delivered a dominant performance to claim the 74kg title, defeating Deepak 10-4. Additional weight class winners included:
57kg: Rahul (1st Position) defeated Akshay Dhere (2nd Position) 11-4
65kg: Sujeet Kalkal (1st Position) defeated Anujj Kumar (2nd Position) 8-3
74kg: Yash (1st Position) defeated Deepak (2nd Position) 10-4
86kg: Pushpendar Dalal (1st Position) defeated Himanshu Antil (2nd Position) 10-4
97kg: Vicky (1st Position) edged past Parveen Kumar (2nd Position) 3-2
125kg: Jaspooran Singh (1st Position) defeated Rohit (2nd Position) 5-1
WFI President Sanjay Singh praised the athletes' performances, stating, "Today's trials in Lucknow proved just how competitive men's wrestling has become in India. The sheer effort and technical skill displayed by the athletes assure us that our reserve bench is stronger than ever. I congratulate today's top performers and expect them to carry this same momentum forward."
Greco-Roman Discipline Results
In the Greco-Roman discipline, competitors battled through intense bouts to secure their top finishes:
60kg: Harsh (1st Position) defeated Lalit (2nd Position) 9-0
67kg: Sachin (1st Position) edged Karanjit Singh (2nd Position) 6-5
77kg: Luvpreet Singh (1st Position) overcame Vikas (2nd Position) 10-8
87kg: Rohit (1st Position) defeated Rohit Bura (2nd Position) 5-2
97kg: Abhimanyu (1st Position) secured a 12-3 win over Virensh Kundu (2nd Position)
130kg: Joginder (1st Position) emerged victorious by fall against Gursewak (2nd Position)