World Wrestling silver for Kajal and Neelam in Astana finals

World Wrestling silver medals went to India’s Kajal Dhochak and Neelam Sirohi after their finals in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Wednesday, October 28. Their runs marked the first occasion on which two Indian women contested title bouts at the same World Championships.

Kajal, 18, lost the 76kg final 6-8 to Ukraine’s Anastasiya Alpyeyeva. The contest had been level at 4-4 before a late four-point sequence helped the Ukrainian secure victory.

The result made Kajal the first Indian woman to earn a heavyweight medal at the tournament. It came on her debut at the senior World Championships after consecutive titles at under-20 level.

Two different routes to the podium

Kajal’s campaign included wins over Lithuania’s Kamile Griskiene Gaucaite and Mongolia’s Davaanasan Enkh Amar. In the semi-final, she recovered from a 1-7 deficit against Kyrgyzstan’s Aiperi Medet Kyzy to win 10-7.

The Haryana wrestler had taken the under-20 world title at 72kg in 2025, beating China’s Liu Yuqi 8-6. She added the 76kg title in 2026 with a 7-0 final victory over China’s Jingru Sun.

Neelam, 26, faced Japan’s Yui Susaki in the 50kg final. Susaki, a four-time world champion and Olympic gold medallist, won by fall after taking a 5-0 lead.

Neelam opened with a 6-0 victory over Belarus’ Natallia Varakina and progressed through the quarter-final when Russia’s Elizaveta Smirnova withdrew because of injury. She then defeated Kazakhstan’s Zeinep Bayanova 7-3 in the semi-final.

From Mathura in Uttar Pradesh, Neelam trains at Najafgarh Stadium in Delhi with coaches including Virender Dahiya and Parvesh Rathi. Earlier appearances at the senior worlds had not brought her a medal.

The World Wrestling silver finishes follow Anshu Malik’s 2021 breakthrough, when she became the first Indian woman to reach a world final and earned silver at 57kg.

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