Indian Womens Wrestling Coach Optimistic for Olympic Success Following World Championship Performance
Coach Virender Dahiya expresses confidence that Indian wrestlers will excel at the 2028 Olympics after a strong showing at the World Championship.
New Delhi, October 31 (Daily Kiran) : Indian women’s wrestling coach Virender Dahiya has expressed optimism about the future of his athletes, Neelam Sirohi and Kajal Dhochak. He believes their experience from the 2026 World Wrestling Championship will strengthen their performance. Dahiya is confident that alongside historic gold medalist Manisha Bhanwala, they can secure medals for India at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
India achieved its best-ever performance at this championship, finishing fourth in the medal tally with one gold, two silver, and one bronze. Manisha made history as the first Indian woman to win a gold medal at the senior World Championship. Neelam (50 kg) and Kajal (76 kg) each earned silver medals, while Tanu Sharma claimed bronze in the 72 kg category.
Discussing Neelam’s performance, Coach Dahiya noted the tough competition she faced against Japan’s Yui Susaki, a five-time world champion. He emphasized that reaching the finals is a significant achievement for any Indian wrestler.
During a joint media interaction organized by the Wrestling Federation of India, Dahiya remarked, “Neelam faced Yui Susaki, who is an extraordinary talent. However, even the best can be defeated. Susaki has experienced losses in Japan, yet that does not diminish her greatness. Neelam’s achievement in reaching this level is commendable, and we are proud of her. We believe she will continue to improve.”
Dahiya also highlighted Kajal’s silver medal as a testament to her ongoing development. He supports both wrestlers, stating that they will play crucial roles in India’s future international endeavors. He added, “Kajal is still gaining experience, and along with Manisha, these two are the future stars of Indian wrestling. God willing, we will see all three of them competing at the Los Angeles Olympics, replicating their remarkable performance here.”
Thanks to the wrestlers’ strong performances, India secured fifth place in the team rankings with 94 points. The United States, Japan, China, and Ukraine ranked higher. This marks India’s best performance at the World Wrestling Championship, surpassing their previous medal counts of two in both 2012 and 2021.
