World Wrestling C'ships: India returns empty handed in men's freestyle as Sujeet, Vicky bow out

India’s tough run continued at the 2025 World Wrestling Championships in Zagreb, Croatia on Tuesday.

While the women’s team continued to keep India’s medal hopes alive, the men’s freestyle wrestlers returned empty-handed after losing their repechage bouts.

In the 65kg women’s category, Vaishnavi Patil started her campaign with a 3-1 win over Latvia’s Elma Zeidlere.

She then narrowly lost 2-4 to Mongolia’s world number five, Enkhjin Tuvshinjargal, in the quarterfinals.

Patil will have a chance to enter the repechage only if Tuvshinjargal reaches the final, keeping her hopes of a medal alive.

In the 76kg category, Priya Malik lost 2-4 to Ecuador’s Genesis Reasco Valdez in the 1/8 round. Malik’s opportunity to compete in the repechage will open only if Valdez reaches the final.

Both Patil and Malik remain one of India’s strongest medal prospects in the women’s freestyle events.

Other members of the women’s team were eliminated earlier. Ankush, competing in the 50kg division, lost 5-6 to Belarus’s Natallia Varakina, and with Varakina failing to advance to the final, Ankush’s tournament ended.

Tapsya, in the 57kg category, was defeated 2-4 by Mexico’s Bertha Rojas Chavez, whose subsequent loss also ended Tapsya’s campaign.

India’s men’s freestyle wrestlers could not take advantage of their repechage opportunities.

Sujeet Kalkal, in the 65kg category, lost 5-7 to American Real Marshall Ray Woods.

While Vicky, in the 97kg category, was eliminated by Bulgaria’s Akhmed Magamaev via fall.

With these defeats, India’s men’s freestyle team concluded the championship without any medals.