India’s Greco-Roman wrestling team saw mixed fortunes on day one of the U23 World Wrestling Championship 2024.
Suraj Vashisht, competing in the 60kg category, secured a spot in the repechage round, which will take place tomorrow.
However, Sachin (67kg), Aakash Punia (72kg), and Deepak Punia (82kg) were knocked out of the competition, failing to advance further.
Sachin’s day started with promise, as he claimed a 10-7 win over Israel’s Shon Nadorgin in the pre-quarterfinals. However, his campaign came to an end in the quarterfinals after a tough loss to Poland’s Salimov.
Aakash Punia and Deepak Punia also faced early exits, leaving Vashisht as India’s last hope in the Greco-Roman category for the day.
The U23 World Wrestling Championships kicked off in Tirana with five weight classes in action: 60kg, 67kg, 72kg, 82kg, and 97kg. Iran, back this year after missing the 2023 edition, presented a strong team.
India’s 30-member squad is competing across Men’s freestyle, Women’s freestyle, and Men’s Greco-Roman events.
Big names such as Priya Malik and Sujeet will be leading the charge in upcoming matches, as India aims to improve on last year’s haul of nine medals, including one gold.
Repechage rounds will continue tomorrow, with Suraj Vashisht aiming for a podium finish. Preliminary rounds in other Greco-Roman weight categories, including 55kg and 130kg, will begin at 2:00 PM.
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