Mansi, Kajal, Sumit Lead India’s Medal Surge in Vietnam

Day two of the U23 Asian Wrestling Championship turned into another memorable chapter for Indian wrestling as the contingent added eight more medals, three of them gold, at the Tien Son Sports Centre in Da Nang. Mansi Lathar set the tone in the women’s 68kg final with an emphatic 14-1 win over Uzbekistan’s Firuza Esenbaeva, displaying both power and tactical acumen. Kajal followed suit in the 76kg bout, overwhelming Kyrgyzstan’s Aizharkin Zhanibekova 10-0 to underline India’s growing strength in heavier weight classes. Greco-Roman athlete Sumit sealed the third gold in the 63kg division, defeating Ojobek Khalilov of Uzbekistan 12-2 through a series of calculated attacks that left little room for comeback. Silver medals were secured by Swati and Neha after closely contested finals. Swati lost 5-7 to Vietnam’s Ngoc L. Do, while Neha fell 5-9 to Uzbekistan’s Laylokhon Sobirova, both athletes showing promise despite the narrow defeats. Bronze medals went to Ahilya S. Shinde, who posted a 13-2 victory, Neeraj Patel who won 8-0, and Rohit Bura who triumphed 9-0. Federation president Sanjay Singh highlighted the collective effort, stressing that consistent performances at this level are vital for building a robust pipeline of future senior champions. The contingent now turns its focus to remaining bouts with renewed confidence.