New Delhi [India], June 25 (ANI): Armed with a blend of reigning continental champions, battle-hardened domestic league stars, and the country's most elite junior prodigies, a 60-member Indian wrestling squad is set to take the mat at the upcoming 2026 U15 and U20 Asian Wrestling Championships.
The high-stakes continental showdown will take place in Pattaya, Thailand, from June 27 to July 5, featuring action across Men's Freestyle, Greco-Roman, and Women's Wrestling, as per a press release from the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).
With the WFI fielding a deeply scouted contingent, the tournament presents a crucial stepping stone. The U15 athletes will kick off the campaign from June 27, giving the nation's youngest stars their first major taste of international competition, before the highly anticipated U20 division takes center stage from June 30.
"This is a crucial tournament for us, and we're sending a very solid group of wrestlers to Pattaya," said Sanjay Kumar Singh, President of WFI.
"We have picked a squad of 60 athletes who have really given their all in the domestic trials. When you look at athletes like Mansi or Neeraj, they already know what it takes to win at this level. And for the U15 kids, it is all about getting that early international exposure against top-tier opponents. The federation stands behind them completely, and honestly, we are expecting a very good medal tally from this group," he added.
The Women's Wrestling contingent enters the U20 tournament anchored by 68kg freestyle sensation Mansi Lather. Mansi arrives in Pattaya riding a monumental wave of momentum, having recently delivered a masterclass performance to clinch the gold medal at the U23 Asian Wrestling Championships. Known for her aggressive upper-body control and tactical maturity, she enters the tournament as a strong contender for the U20 continental title. The U15 women's division is equally promising, featuring emerging domestic champions like Vinakshi (46kg) and Dipanshi (58kg), who delivered standout performances at the grueling national selection trials to secure their spots on the flight to Thailand.
In the Men's Freestyle division, the spotlight will be heavily focused on the U20 heavyweight category, driven by 125kg powerhouse Ronak. Bringing crucial international mat experience to the freestyle heavyweight division, Ronak has consistently proven his ability to out-maneuver and handle veteran competitors. The freestyle squad is further bolstered by explosive U20 athletes like Pavan Dhygude Dipanshu (65kg) and Adarsh Yuvraj Patil (74kg), alongside heavily scouted U15 regional prodigies like Jatin (38kg) and Arman (68kg).
The Greco-Roman squad is built around a core of technically sharp and defensively resilient grapplers. Leading the U20 charge is 55kg standout Neeraj Patel, who brings crucial international mat time to the table. Having recently battled his way to a bronze medal at the grueling U23 Asian Wrestling Championships, where he secured an 8-0 shutout victory in his final match, Neeraj's experience navigating tight par terre situations will be vital. Joining him are fast-rising tactical specialists like Suraj (60kg) and super-heavyweight Dishant (130kg), while the U15 division features raw tactical talents like Paryas Dhounchak (57kg) and Kushal Kajal (68kg), all looking to assert their absolute dominance in upper-body combat and secure continental hardware for the country.
The U20 Asian Wrestling Championship has historically served as the ultimate proving ground for India's future Olympic stars. Ever since the inaugural edition of the junior tournament was hosted on home soil in Hisar back in 1981, India has consistently used this continental stage to launch the careers of world-class grapplers. Building on a legacy of massive recent successes, including a dominant 22-medal haul in Bahrain just a few years ago, this 2026 squad carries a proud history with them to Pattaya. Backed by rigorous preparation and undeniable talent, they are well-positioned to write the next golden chapter for Indian wrestling.
-Complete Indian Squad for the 2026 U15 & U20 Asian Wrestling Championships:*
-U20 Women's Wrestling*
* 50 Kg: Parveen
* 53 Kg: Muskan
* 55 Kg: Kajal
* 57 Kg: Manya Rajput
* 59 Kg: Komal
* 62 Kg: Savita
* 65 Kg: Muskan
* 68 Kg: Mansi Lather
* 72 Kg: Manisha
* 76 Kg: Kajal
-U20 Men's Freestyle
* 57 Kg: Rohit
* 61 Kg: Pushp
* 65 Kg: Pavan Dhygude Dipanshu
* 70 Kg: Sumitkumar Laxman Bharskar
* 74 Kg: Adarsh Yuvraj Patil
* 79 Kg: Saurabh Yadav
* 86 Kg: Sahil Dalal
* 92 Kg: Nikhil
* 97 Kg: Lucky
* 125 Kg: Ronak
-U20 Men's Greco-Roman
* 55 Kg: Neeraj Patel
* 60 Kg: Suraj
* 63 Kg: Aryan Malik
* 67 Kg: Anuj
* 72 Kg: Vinit
* 77 Kg: Dheeraj Kumar Malik
* 82 Kg: Himanshu
* 87 Kg: Vikash Dalal
* 97 Kg: Akshay Rana
* 130 Kg: Dishant
-U15 Women's Wrestling
* 33 Kg: Samruddhi Satish
* 36 Kg: Divyarani
* 39 Kg: Gauri Satish
* 42 Kg: Dnyaneshwari
* 46 Kg: Vinakshi
* 50 Kg: Mohini
* 54 Kg: Nisha
* 58 Kg: Dipanshi
* 62 Kg: Anjali Santosh
* 66 Kg: Disha Shokeen
-U15 Men's Freestyle
* 38 Kg: Jatin
* 41 Kg: Gautam
* 44 Kg: Vansh
* 48 Kg: Harshvardhan
* 52 Kg: Rathmesh
* 57 Kg: Nitesh
* 62 Kg: Naitak
* 68 Kg: Arman
* 75 Kg: Harshad Keshav Chemte
* 85 Kg: Vivek Chauhan
-U15 Men's Greco-Roman
* 38 Kg: Saurav
* 41 Kg: Rohit Ashok Mali
* 44 Kg: Rajveer Singh
* 48 Kg: Yash
* 52 Kg: Tushar Khokar
* 57 Kg: Paryas Dhounchak
* 62 Kg: Darpan Raju Chaudhari
* 68 Kg: Kushal Kajal
* 75 Kg: Gaurav Gundaji
* 85 Kg: Jatin. (ANI)
