Several notable names from the IIS stable also featured in the competition, including Kajal (+62 kg), Nishu (53 kg), Suraj (60 kg Greco-Roman, U17 World gold medallist), Sumit (60 kg Greco-Roman, U20 World bronze medallist), and Sumit Malik (57 kg freestyle, U20 World bronze medallist).
Competitions were held in 10 weight categories each in men's and women's freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling, with India entering one athlete per category, except in men's freestyle 125kg. Around 700 wrestlers from across the globe competed in the Serbian city.
Abhimanyu, a U23 World Championships bronze medalist from June had beaten Ukraine's world number seven Ihor Nykyforuk 19-9 with a victory by fall (VFA) and Moldova's Nicolai Grahmez 13-2 (technical superiority) to make it to the quarterfinals.