PWL CEO Akhil Gupta hails intense PWL final, Haryana Thunders co-owners laud team's win

Noida (Uttar Pradesh) [India], February 2 (ANI): Promoter and CEO of Pro Wrestling League Akhil Gupta said the PWL 2026 final match between Haryana Thunders and Delhi Dangal Warriors on Sunday was full of excitement and emotions, while Haryana Thunders co-owners expressed delight at Haryana winning the final.
Akhil Gupta, while speaking to ANI, highlighted the intense competition and the decisive nature of the final match. He said the emotions were hard to put into words and emphasised that this level of challenge and success is what they aim for in wrestling.
"There were some moments during the match when I was screaming with excitement... The emotions cannot be expressed. Today's match was tied at 4-4. Nobody knew what would happen in the last match, which proved to be a deciding factor. This is the level of competition and success we want in wrestling," he said.
Dayaan Farooqi, promoter of the Pro Wrestling League, praised the three women owners of Haryana's team for their dedication, which led to their victory. He added that the league aims to make wrestlers role models.
"The owners of Haryana's team were three women, and from the first day, they were very stressed about every minute thing. They had dedicated themselves to winning, and they have now won... Our target is to make wrestlers a role model," Farooqi said.
Prerana Banka, co-owner of Haryana Thunders, said their Pro Wrestling League victory feels magical, as their month-long dream has finally come true.
"The moment still hasn't sunk in yet. Everything feels magical and it is difficult to believe that what we had been dreaming for a month is fulfilled now," Prerana said.
Shreya Parasrampuriya, also a co-owner of Haryana Thunders, described their victory as surreal, crediting careful team selection and the hard work of both young and experienced players for achieving their goal of winning the trophy.
"I'm short for words. It feels surreal. We tried to make a balanced team at the auction. We wanted to promote young players and wanted experienced players as well, so that we have a balanced side. The vision and mission was always to win the trophy and our players worked really hard," Shreya said.
Isha Gupta, third co-owner of Haryana Thunders, said their month-and-a-half of hard work paid off, and the feeling of winning is indescribable.
"The hard-work we put in for the last one month and a half was successful. Can't really describe the feeling in words," Isha Gupta said.
Coming to the PWL final between Haryana Thunders and Delhi Dangal Warriors on Sunday, Haryana Thunders were crowned champions of the Pro Wrestling League 2026 after a gripping, back-and-forth final that went down to the very last bout against Delhi Dangal Warriors at the Noida Indoor Stadium on Sunday night, according to a release.
With the scores locked at 4-4 after eight bouts, it all came down to the final women's 62kg clash, where Paris Olympic silver medallist Iryna Koliadenko delivered a masterclass under pressure. Her emphatic technical superiority sealed a dramatic 5-4 victory and the PWL 2026 title for Haryana Thunders, capping off one of the most intense finals in league history.
Haryana Thunders will take home ₹1.5 crore prize money along with the PWL 2026 trophy, while the runner-up Delhi Dangal Warriors will receive ₹75 lakh.
Among the individual awards, Turan Bayramov of Delhi Dangal Warriors received the Player of the Tournament award worth ₹2.5 lakh for his 7 out of 7 bout wins in the 57 kg men's category, accumulating a total of 59 points in PWL 2026, while Chandermohan from Punjab Royals was the highest point scorer of the tournament.
Neha Sangwan (Haryana Thunders) won the Player of the Match for keeping the final alive till the last bout, while Ronak (Delhi Dangal Warriors) won Fighter of the Match for his impressive performance in the men's 125 kg category. Impact player of the match was claimed by Akshay Dhere (Haryana Thunders) for her strong performance in the 57 kg men's category.
The championship night opened with Delhi drawing first blood through undefeated Turan Bayramov in the 74kg men's bout, as he raced to an early lead and controlled proceedings for an 8-1 win. Haryana responded immediately in the 76 kg women's category, where U20 World Champion Kajal Dhochack edged past European Champion Anastasiya Alpyeeva 3-1 to level the tie.
Momentum shifted again in the 65 kg men's bout when Delhi captain Sujeet Kalkal produced a stunning late surge to defeat World Championships silver medallist Tumur Ochir Tulga 8-6. Haryana answered through their talisman and multiple-time world champion Yui Susaki, who showcased her pedigree with a dominant technical superiority win over Saarika to make it 2-2.
Delhi regained the lead in the 86kg men's bout as Asian Championship bronze medallist Vafaeipour Hadi Bakhtiar overpowered Ashirov Ashraf 11-0, before Haryana struck back strongly through Akshay Dhere, who overwhelmed Delhi's Amit Kumar by technical superiority in the 57kg men's contest.
The heavyweight clash then proved pivotal, with Ronak producing a commanding performance to defeat Anirudh Gulia 12-2, putting Delhi 4-3 ahead. Haryana refused to relent, and Neha Sangwan kept the final alive by pinning Anjali in the 57 kg women's bout to level the scores once more at 4-4.
With the championship hanging in the balance, Iryna Koliadenko rose to the occasion in the decisive 62 kg women's bout. Using her experience and composure, the Paris Olympic silver medallist took down Anjli through relentless turn-and-exposure sequences, closing out a 16-0 technical superiority victory to clinch the title for Haryana Thunders and spark celebrations from the Haryana camp.
Haryana Thunders' title triumph brought the curtain down on a memorable PWL 2026 season, defined by drama, depth, and a final that lived up to its billing in every sense. (ANI)