Indian wrestlers opened their medal account in men’s freestyle competition at the U17 World Championships 2026 in Baku, Azerbaijan, winning one silver and two bronze medals across three weight categories.
Aaryan led India’s campaign in the 48kg category, producing a strong run to reach the gold medal bout. In the final against Kazakhstan’s Bakdaulet Agabek, the Indian wrestler fought hard but went down 0-10, settling for a silver medal.
In the 55kg category, Prathamesh Suryakanth Patil bounced back from his earlier setback with a dominant performance in the bronze medal playoff. He defeated USA’s Chase Karenbaur 8-0, displaying excellent technical control to secure a place on the podium.
India’s third freestyle medal came through Arush Rana in the 110kg category. The recent U17 Asian Wrestling Championships gold medallist continued his impressive form by defeating Kazakhstan’s Sagyndyk Temirgaly 9-1 in the bronze medal bout.
The Indian contingent will continue its challenge in the remaining men’s freestyle categories, including 45kg, 51kg, 60kg, 71kg and 92kg, as the championship concludes on Sunday.
India’s women’s wrestlers have also enjoyed a successful campaign in Baku, adding multiple medals to the national tally. Sandhya Vishnoi won silver in the 46kg category after reaching the final, where she lost 2-13 to Japan’s Kokona Makino.
With the latest additions, India’s U17 World Championships wrestling medal tally includes strong performances across both men’s freestyle and women’s wrestling categories, highlighting the country’s growing strength at the junior level.