At around 4 PM on December 6, the Koramangala Indoor Stadium in Bengaluru was abuzz with activity. The semifinals of various men’s wrestling categories at the National Wrestling Championships were in progress. Amid the action, Karnataka State Wrestling Association’s president, B Gunaranjan Shetty, visited the media box, personally asking journalists about the quality of lunch served.
“Bekhadra coffee, tea togoli (if needed, please take coffee or tea),” he quipped light-heartedly, even mentioning serving badam milk to dignitaries. This small gesture reflected the attention to detail and hospitality with which Day 1 of the championships was organized.
To be fair, the day did start with some chaos. Volunteers and curious onlookers crowded the area around the wrestling rings, some even cheering loudly in excitement. It took the organizers close to an hour to restore order. However, once the crowd was managed, the larger picture was that of a lively, festive atmosphere as grapplers battled it out on the mat.
On expected lines, Haryana stamped their authority, bagging four gold medals. Anuj Kumar, a participant at the 2023 Senior World Championships, triumphed in the 70kg category, defeating Sharwan. In the 86kg division, Mukul Dahiya edged out Sandeep Singh in a thrilling contest, winning 5-4.
Haryana’s dominance continued with Sachin overcoming Chandigarh’s Tanuj Antil in the 92kg final. Siddharth and Amit added further glory for Haryana by sealing gold medals in the 65kg and 79kg categories, respectively.
For hosts Karnataka, there was reason to celebrate as Rohan Ghevadi won silver in the 74kg category. Mahesh Kumar came close to adding another medal for Karnataka but fell short in the bronze-medal match against Sarvesh Yadav in the 70kg category.
Elsewhere, the day saw an upset as Pankaj stunned top-seeded Lalit Kaushal 6-0 in the 61kg division.
Points Table Standings:
Haryana currently sit atop the points table with 175 points, followed by the Services Sports Control Board in second place with 154 points. Delhi occupy third with 128 points.
Off the mat, the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) remains under scrutiny. Currently, the WFI is not recognized by the Union Sports Ministry, and the Delhi High Court had barred it from organizing the championships. Instead, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA)-appointed ad-hoc committee was tasked with hosting the event. However, a twist in the tale persists: the presence of an ad-hoc body could invite the ire of United World Wrestling. For now, the existing WFI administrators continue to function in their roles, leaving the situation murky.