World Wrestling Championships 2026: Neelam Sirohi and Kajal Dhochak Win Silver in Astana

What happened

India won two silver medals in women's freestyle wrestling on 28 October 2026, the fifth day of the Senior World Wrestling Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan (United World Wrestling).

• Neelam Sirohi (women's 50kg) lost the final to Japan's Yui Susaki, who pinned her in 2:15. Neelam trailed 0-5 before the fall.
• Kajal Dhochak (women's 76kg) lost the final 6-8 to Ukraine's Anastasiya Alpyeyeva (score as given by UWW; The Bridge reported 4-8). UWW reports that Kajal led on criteria twice, but Alpyeyeva scored a takedown and a two-point exposure in the last 20 seconds. Kajal got a takedown with six seconds left but ran out of time.

According to UWW, India was denied its first-ever women's senior world gold twice on the same day. The two silvers opened India's medal count in Astana (The Bridge).

Background

• The championships run from 24 October to 1 November 2026 in Astana (Ukrinform, via Yahoo Sports).
• Before this edition, Anshu Malik was the only Indian woman to have reached a senior world final. She won silver at 57kg in 2021 (UWW). Neelam and Kajal are the second and third Indian women to do so.
• The Bridge reports that these are India's first silver medals at the Worlds in five years, since Anshu's silver in 2021.
• Kajal Dhochak is 18 and was making her senior World Championships debut (Khel Now). She had won two U20 world titles. All India Radio reported the second, at 76kg, on 21 August 2026; she beat China's Jingru Sun 7-0 in the final.
• Neelam Sirohi is 26 (Khel Now).

Key details

Results of Indian women in the medal rounds (UWW, The Bridge, Khel Now)

Rajnita (women's 65kg) lost 2-6 to Japan's Nana Ikehata in the repechage and missed the bronze-medal bout (The Bridge, Khel Now).

About the winners

• Yui Susaki won her fifth world gold. It was her first appearance at the Worlds since 2023. She is the Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion. At Paris 2024, India's Vinesh Phogat beat her in the opening round, the first international loss of Susaki's career (UWW).
• Anastasiya Alpyeyeva beat Belarus's Anastasiya Zimiankova, USA's Dymond Guilford and Turkiye's Kadriye Kocak Aksoy on her way to the final. Her gold was Ukraine's first medal of these championships (Ukrinform, via Yahoo Sports).
• The 76kg bronze medals went to Davaanasan Enkh Amar (Mongolia) and Dymond Guilford (USA). In the 50kg category, they went to Zeinep Bayanova (Kazakhstan) and Ziqi Feng (China) (UWW).

Why it matters

• Women's wrestling at the top level: Until Astana, only one Indian woman had reached a senior world final. Two did so at the same edition, which Khel Now calls a first.
• Junior to senior pathway: Kajal moved from two U20 world titles to a senior world final at 18, on her senior Worlds debut.

Issues and criticism

• The wait for gold continues: The Khel Now report notes that both defeats extended India's wait for a women's world gold.
• The gap in the lightest category: Susaki beat Neelam 11-0 in the quarter-finals of the Asian Championships in Bishkek in April (UWW) and pinned her in 2:15 in Astana, which shows the gap Neelam still has to close against the world's best at 50kg.
• Closing out bouts: Kajal led on criteria twice but lost the final in its last 20 seconds. This shows how much late-bout control matters at the senior level.

Way forward

• Give young wrestlers like Kajal regular senior international bouts against top opponents.
• Work on tactical areas such as defending a lead in the final seconds.
• Build depth so that more Indian women reach the medal rounds across all categories.

Prelims pointers

• The 2026 Senior World Wrestling Championships were held in Astana, Kazakhstan (24 October to 1 November 2026).
• Neelam Sirohi won silver in women's freestyle 50kg, losing the final to Yui Susaki of Japan by fall.
• Kajal Dhochak won silver in women's freestyle 76kg, losing 6-8 to Anastasiya Alpyeyeva of Ukraine.
• Both finals were held on 28 October 2026.
• Neelam and Kajal are the second and third Indian women to reach a senior world final, after Anshu Malik (silver, 57kg, 2021).
• Yui Susaki won her fifth world gold in Astana.
• Kajal Dhochak, aged 18, is a two-time U20 world champion.

One-liners for SSC, Banking and Railways

• Host of the World Wrestling Championships 2026: Astana, Kazakhstan.
• India's women's medallists: Neelam Sirohi (50kg silver) and Kajal Dhochak (76kg silver).
• Kajal lost the 76kg final to Anastasiya Alpyeyeva (Ukraine).
• Neelam lost the 50kg final to Yui Susaki (Japan).
• The first Indian woman to reach a senior world final was Anshu Malik (2021).

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Mains practice question

Q. Two Indian women reached the final of the 2026 Senior World Wrestling Championships, but India still awaits its first women's world gold. Examine the strengths and gaps in India's sports ecosystem for women athletes. (150 words)

Points to cover:

1. The result: two silvers in Astana, and a teenager reaching a senior world final in the 76kg category.
2. Strengths: a junior pipeline that produces U20 world champions, and the growing visibility of women in combat sports.
3. Gaps: no women's world gold yet, a margin behind top nations such as Japan, and the need for more senior-level exposure.
4. Way forward: more international bouts and tactical coaching, broader depth across categories, and support for athletes through the Olympic cycle.