Wrestling: Mohit Kumar Claims U20 World Championship Title in Freestyle category

Wrestling: Indian wrestler Mohit Kumar scripted history by becoming the Under 20 World Champion in the men’s 61 Kg Freestyle category.

The Championship is being held at Amman City in Jordan from August 14 to 20.

Mohit defeated Russia’s Eldar Akhmadudinov 9-8 in the final to become the fourth Indian Freestyle Wrestler to win a Junior World Championship. With this win, Mohit became the fourth male wrestler from India to earn a gold medal in the U20 World Championships, following Palwinder Cheema in 2001, Ramesh Kumar in 2001, and Deepak Punia in 2019.

In addition to Mohit, Sagar Jaglan bagged a silver medal in Freestyle 79 kg category while Deepak Chahal won a bronze medal in the Freestyle 97 kg category. Jaideep won the 74kg bronze with a win over Kyrgyszstan’s Zhakshylyk Ruslanovich Baitashov. The Indian men’s freestyle team has so far won five medals.

Meanwhile, Antim Panghal is leading India’s challenge at the World Under-20 Wrestling Championships 2023 in Amman, Jordan from August 14 to 20. She became the first Indian woman to become an U20 wrestling world champion in Sofia, Bulgaria, last year. She will compete in the women’s 53kg bracket again.

The week-long event at the Amman International Stadium will see bouts in men’s and women’s freestyle and men’s Greco-Roman categories. A total of 30 Indian wrestlers – one in each medal event – are competing in the 46th edition of the junior wrestling championships.