Sujeet Kalkal Leads India at 2026 World Wrestling Championships

Sujeet Kalkal will lead India’s medal ambitions at the 2026 World Wrestling Championships, with the 30-member squad set to compete in Astana, Kazakhstan, from October 24 to November 1. India has entered 10 wrestlers in each of men’s freestyle, women’s wrestling and men’s Greco-Roman competition for the final major event of the year.

Kalkal, the Asian Games champion, arrives as India’s leading medal prospect after an unbeaten run through his bouts this year. The 65kg freestyle wrestler is seeded second and will aim to convert that position into his first World Championships medal. India has won one medal in each of the previous three editions and will be seeking a multi-medal return in Astana.

Kalkal’s 65kg challenge leads India’s campaign

The 65kg field presents Kalkal with a major opportunity as well as a demanding test. His last defeat came at the previous World Championships, where he lost 5-7 to Real Woods of the United States in repechage and narrowly missed out on a medal. This time, he will enter with the second seed and hopes of going further.

The principal names identified in his path are top seed Rahman Amouzadkhalili of Iran and Shamil Mamedov of Bulgaria. Kalkal’s results in Astana will therefore carry considerable importance for India’s overall medal prospects, particularly with several established wrestlers absent from the contingent.

Antim Panghal and Aman Sehrawat are among the leading Indian wrestlers who have withdrawn from the championships. Their absence places added focus on the younger members of the women’s team, including Neha Sangwan, Nishu and Kajal Dhochak, who are listed among India’s wrestlers to watch.

India’s men’s freestyle team includes Rahul at 57kg, Nikhil at 61kg, Kalkal at 65kg, Vishal Kaliramana at 70kg, Sagar Jaglan at 74kg, Saurabh Yadav at 79kg, Pushpender Dalal at 86kg, Sachin at 92kg, Vicky at 97kg and Jaspooran Singh at 125kg.

In women’s wrestling, India will be represented by Neelam Sirohi at 50kg, Nishu at 53kg, Ahilya Shinde at 55kg, Neha Sharma at 57kg, Manisha at 59kg, Neha Sangwan at 62kg, Rajnita at 65kg, Srishti at 68kg, Tanu Sharma at 72kg and Kajal Dhochak at 76kg.

The Greco-Roman selection comprises Lalit Sehrawat at 55kg, Harsh at 60kg, Sahil at 63kg, Sachin Sehrawat at 67kg, Karanjit Singh at 72kg, Lovepreet Singh at 77kg, Prince at 82kg, Sunil Kumar at 87kg, Nitesh Siwach at 97kg and Joginder Rathee at 130kg.

Schedule and how to watch the championships

The competition schedule begins with Greco-Roman preliminary rounds in the 55kg, 60kg, 77kg and 82kg categories, followed by further Greco-Roman sessions across the 130kg, 72kg, 97kg, 63kg, 87kg and 67kg divisions. Women’s wrestling sessions will feature preliminary rounds, semi-finals and medal bouts across all 10 listed weight classes.

Men’s freestyle action includes preliminary rounds in the 65kg and 97kg categories, placing Kalkal’s division on the programme alongside the other Indian freestyle weight classes. The schedule concludes with freestyle repechages and medal bouts in the 79kg, 57kg, 92kg and 74kg categories.

India’s objective is to build on its run of one medal in each of the last three World Championships. A relatively inexperienced squad will face strong opposition from leading wrestling nations including the United States, Japan and Iran, making Kalkal’s seeded run and the performances of the emerging women’s contingent central to the campaign. The championships will be streamed live on United World Wrestling’s official platform, UWW+.