Indian women’s wrestling reached a new high in Novi Sad, Serbia, when the Indian Women’s Wrestling Team won the Team Title at the 2025 U23 World Wrestling Championships. This solidifies India’s place as one of the world’s top wrestling countries.
The team got 121 points (according to the Indian Wrestling Federation) and beat Japan (117 points), which has Olympic champion Akari Fujinami and multiple-time World medalist Sakura Motoki.
This was not a normal win. India’s team won the World Championship team title, making it only the fifth Indian team in any age group to do so. They joined the following teams:
2021 U17 Men’s Freestyle 2023
Wrestling for Women Under 20 in 2024
Women’s Wrestling U17 2025
Women’s Wrestling U17 2025
Women’s Wrestling U23
The Secret to a Title
Consistency Over Gold India won this title without winning a single gold medal, which is what made it so special. The team’s consistency, depth, and ability to bounce back across weight classes earned them 2 silver and 5 bronze medals, which added up to 121 points, just enough to beat Japan’s 117.
India won the gold medal in the U23 World Wrestling Championships Podium Team WW. UWW credit The Indian plan was clear: get stronger in all ten weight classes. Japan relied on a few strong champions, but India’s strategy of finishing on the podium multiple times made the difference.
This win also proved that years of rebuilding at the grassroots and developmental levels were worth it. The focus was on technical depth, scientific training, and match management, not just individual brilliance.
The Silver Medalists: Hansika and Sarika Rise to the Occasion
Hansika and Sarika Rise to the Occasion to Win Silver Hansika Lamba (53kg) and Sarika (59kg) were the two names that stood out on the last day. They both made it to the finals but lost to experienced Japanese opponents.
Hansika Lamba’s path to the 53kg final was perfect until the gold medal match. She only gave up two points in her first four matches, and she won 11-0 in the quarterfinals and semifinals. In the final, she fought Haruna Morikawa from Japan, who was a better grappler and won 4-0 with quick counterattacks. Even though she lost, Hansika’s strong performance throughout the draw showed that she is one of India’s best hopes for the future.
Sarika had one of India’s most fun campaigns in the 59kg category. She beat American and Norwegian opponents 4-2 and 5-2, then beat Poland’s Olha Padoshyk 12-6 in a high-scoring semifinal. Sarika lost to Japan’s Ruka Natami, a former U23 silver medalist, in a close final that was decided by an activity clock point and a boundary push-out.
The Bronze Triumph: Five Wrestlers Shine When It Matters Most
- Five Wrestlers Deliver Under Pressure at the Bronze Foundation Hansika and Sarika set the tone, and India’s five bronze medalists were the backbone of the title win.
- Nishu (55kg) beat Moe Kiyooka (Japan), the current World Champion, early in the draw. This was one of the tournament’s biggest upsets, and it earned her bronze and 15 points.
- Neha Sharma (57kg) won her third straight U23 Worlds medal, showing how consistent she is.
- Pulkit (65 kg) and Srishti (68 kg) showed maturity under pressure by winning their bronze matches 8-4 and 6-1, respectively. Indian wrestlers had often failed in these situations in the past.
- Priya Malik (76kg), a former U20 World Champion, won India’s first medal in Novi Sad and showed that she could easily move up to the older age group.
These results added up to seven medals in ten weight classes, which showed that India had the best bench strength at the U23 level.
Japan has been the world leader in women’s wrestling for decades, thanks to its unyielding technique and unmatched calmness. But in Novi Sad, India’s better consistency tipped the scales. Akari Fujinami (57kg) and other champions from Japan were the stars of the show, but the Indians kept breaking Japan’s dominance in important rounds. Nishu’s win over Kiyooka and the fact that Hansika and Sarika made it to the finals show that India’s wrestlers are no longer afraid of Japan’s reputation. The win also showed a big difference in strategy: Japan does well with gold medals, but India’s overall reliability in all categories led to the team’s victory.
This historic success didn’t just happen by chance. Indian wrestlers have a smooth path to development thanks to a carefully built system that goes from U17 to U20 and now U23. India’s U20 women’s team won the world team title in 2023. The U17 women’s teams did it again in 2024 and 2025. The U23 crown shows that India’s wrestling system is not only making great wrestlers, but also keeping them great at all ages. Virender Dahiya, the national women’s coach, has been a big part of this change. He has worked on his long-standing weaknesses by focusing on scientific weight management and staying calm at the end of a match. Wrestlers now compete closer to their natural weight, which helps them stay strong and not get tired as quickly.
This was clear in India’s ability to win five bronze bouts on Day 6. This win proves India’s system works, but the next step is clear: turning U23 dominance into senior-level podiums. The “junior-to-senior gap” is still a problem that many talented wrestlers have trouble with: they can’t handle the speed, strength, and mental demands of senior competition. The Mission Olympic Cell should quickly put all seven Novi Sad medalists—Hansika, Sarika, Nishu, Neha, Pulkit, Srishti, and Priya Malik—into the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS). Getting international experience right away, like training with top-10 senior wrestlers, will be very important for getting them ready for Los Angeles 2028.
The U23 World Team Title in Serbia is a turning point; it is the clearest proof that Indian women’s wrestling has gone from making a few stars to making a steady stream of world-class athletes. India’s depth, discipline, and durability are shown by their ability to win a world title without a gold medal against Japan’s Olympic-heavy team. Now it’s not just about one great wrestler; it’s about a whole system that can stay at the top.
If this generation makes the final jump to the senior level, India’s women’s wrestling could be about to enter a golden age that changes the balance of power around the world as we head toward Los Angeles 2028.