Neelam Sirohi and Kajal Dhochak Take Silver as Manisha Reaches Final at World Wrestling Championships 2026

Key facts

• Neelam Sirohi and Kajal Dhochak won silver medals at the Wrestling World Championships 2026 in Astana, Kazakhstan, becoming for the first time two Indian women to win silver medals at the same edition of the tournament.
• Neelam Sirohi lost the women's 50kg final to Japan's Yui Susaki, a four-time World Championship winner (once at 48kg and thrice at 50kg), who pinned her just before the end of the first period and did not concede a single point in her triumphant run.
• Eighteen-year-old Kajal Dhochak lost the women's 76kg final 6-8 to Ukraine's Anastasiya Alpyeyeva, a two-time European champion, after the bout was level 4-4 with around 30 seconds left.
• Neelam and Kajal joined Anshu Malik (57kg, Oslo 2021) as the only Indian women with silver medals at the prestigious tournament.
• Rajnita's 65kg campaign ended in the repechage round with a 2-6 loss to Japan's Nana Ikehata, missing the bronze medal match.
• Indian wrestler Manisha entered the women's 59kg final at the World Championships in Astana by defeating home favourite Altyn Shagayeva by a dominant 10-nil by fall, and will face Abigail Nette of the United States in the final.