Asian Wrestling Championships 2023: Deepak Punia, Antim Panghal to lead Indian men and women squads

New Delhi [India], March 11 (ANI): World Championships medal winners Deepak Punia, Anshu Malik, Sarita Mor, U20 world champion Antim Panghal and U23 world champion Aman Sehrawat are among the wrestlers part of India's Asian Wrestling Championships 2023 squad, selected through the national trials held in New Delhi held on Friday and Saturday.
As per the Olympics.com, the 36th edition of the tournament will be held from April 9 to April 14 in Astana, Kazakhstan. It was supposed to be held in New Delhi, but was shifted abroad due to the pending inquiry by the Indian Sports Ministry against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).
The national trials held at Indira Gandhi Arena, were held under the supervision of the Centre-appointed Oversight Committee instead of WFI.
Deepak, the Tokyo Olympian and silver medalist in 86 kg at the 2021 World Championships, will wrestle in 92 kg division.
Aman will represent India in the 57 kg in absence of Olympic silver medalist Ravi Dahiya, who withdrew from the tournament due to injury. On Friday, Aman, the U23 World Champion, defeated Atish Todkar 14-4 in the final to win the top place in his pet division.
Olympic bronze medalist Bajrang Punia missed the trial. On the other hand, Commonwealth Games Champion Naveen Malik (70 kg) and Sagar Jaglan, the national level champion (74 kg) suffered massive upsets in trials. Naveen was defeated by world junior bronze medalist Mulayam Yadav while Sagar lost to National Games champion Yash Tushir.
Indian women's wrestling team will see 19-year-old Antim Panghal leading India's campaign in absence of veterans Sakshi Malik and Asian, Commonwealth champion Vinesh Phogat.
Antim is the current Asian junior champion and became the first women's wrestler from India to win gold in World U20 Wrestling Championships held in Bulgaria last year. She will compete in the 53 kg division. Anshu Malik, silver medalist at the 2021 World Championships and Sarita Mor, bronze medalist at that event in 59 kg, will also be some top women wrestlers competing at the event.
Indian wrestling team for Asian Wrestling Championships 2023
Women: Neelam (50kg), Antim Panghal (53kg), Sito (55kg) Anshu Malik (57kg), Sarita Mor (59kg), Sonam Malik (62kg), Manisha (65kg), Nisha (68kg), Reetika (72kg), Priya (76kg)
Men's freestyle: Aman Sehrawat (57kg), Pankaj (61kg), Anuj Kumar (65kg), Mulayam Yadav (70kg), Yash Tushir (74kg), Deepak (79kg), Jonty Kumar (86kg), Deepak Punia (92kg), Deepak Nehra (97kg), Anirudh (125kg).
Greco Roman: Rupin (55kg), Sumit (60kg), Neeraj (63kg), Ashu (67kg), Vikas (72kg), Sajan (77kg), Rohit Dahiya (82kg), Sunil Kumar (87kg), Narender Cheema (97kg), Naveen (130kg). (ANI)