India’s youngest Olympic medallist, Aman Sehrawat, is set to spearhead the nation’s medal charge at the Wrestling World Championships 2025 in Zagreb, Croatia, starting Saturday. Olympic legend Yogeshwar Dutt has predicted 3–4 medals for India’s men’s and women’s freestyle wrestlers.
Aman Steps into the Spotlight
The era of Bajrang Punia leading India’s challenge is over, with Aman emerging as the new talisman after clinching India’s only wrestling medal at the Paris Olympics – a bronze in the 57kg category. Dutt named Aman and 65kg contender Sujeet Kalkal as India’s strongest medal bets.
Definitely, Aman and Sujeet. Sujeet has beaten an Olympic medallist recently and Aman became India’s youngest Olympic medallist in Paris.
Deepak Punia Faces Fresh Test
The experienced Deepak Punia has moved up to the 92kg weight class, a change Dutt admits will be challenging. “Deepak has moved up to 92kg, so it takes time to adjust,” Dutt explained. “Still, with his experience, he remains a contender – but Aman and Sujeet are our main hopes.”
Deepak’s 2019 World Championships silver and Junior Worlds gold both came in the 86kg category. Since moving up, he has won silver at the Asian Championships and Ulaanbaatar Ranking Series, plus bronze at the Yasar Dogu tournament.
Global Challenge in Men’s Field
Aman will face stiff competition in the 57kg bracket, led by Paris Olympic silver medallist Spencer Lee of the USA. Armenia’s Arsen Harutyunyan is 2023 World C'ships bronze medallist and Uzbekistan’s Gulomjon Abdullaev – Paris Olympics bronze medallist – are also strong challengers. In Sujeet’s 65kg class, the challenge is even tougher with Japan’s Kotaro Kiyooka (Olympic gold), Iran’s Rahman Amouzad (silver), European champion Ibragim Ibragimov, and Puerto Rico’s Sebastian Rivera all in contention.
Antim Headlines Women’s Challenge
India’s women’s hopes will rest on Antim Panghal, the two-time U-20 world champion and 2023 World Championships bronze medallist. She has already added an Asian Championships bronze and Budapest Ranking Series gold this year.
Antim has the talent, but she must win the psychological battle with herself, not just her opponents. She is already a World Championships medallist. Tapasya and Jyoti also have the potential to surprise.
Rising Stars: Tapasya and Jyoti Berwal
At just 19, Tapasya will make her senior World Championships debut after stunning defending champion Sowaka Uchida to claim junior world gold earlier this year. Meanwhile, Jyoti Berwal (72kg) and Priya Malik (76kg) add depth to India’s women’s squad.
Tough Road Ahead for Women
Antim will likely face a stacked field including Japan’s Haruna Murayama (three-time world champion), Lucia Yepez of Ecuador (Olympic silver), Korea’s Hyo Gyong Choe (Asian champion), and China’s Jin Zhang (2024 Worlds silver).
Dutt’s Verdict
Summing up India’s prospects, the 2012 Olympic bronze medallist remained optimistic: “I think overall we should win 3–4 medals in this edition of the World Championships.”
