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The 2026 IIS Dangal Championship closed out on a high with U23 World Championships medallists Nishu and Yash bagging top honours in their respective weight categories, according to a release.
Organised by the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS), the championship witnessed a record turnout, with over 300 entries and around 240 participants competing across nine categories at the Shaheed Madan Lal Dhingra Multipurpose Hall, Giri Centre, CCS HAU, Hisar. 53 kg wrestler Nishu, who recently won a U23 World Championship bronze in Novi Sad, Serbia, was in top form and proved too strong for her opponents as she eased her way to the gold medal. Yash (74 kg freestyle), representing the Delhi state team, also delivered a dominant performance to finish on top of the podium in his category. Apart from the honour of winning their respective titles, both wrestlers walked away with handsome prize money cheques, with Nishu receiving Rs 31,000 and Yash Rs 51,000. "It was an excellent opportunity for me to fight against some top-quality opponents. It always feels great to win a title. I hope more such events are organised, and wrestlers like me get to participate and improve," said Yash after his victory. Encouraged by the strong response to the inaugural edition in 2025, the second edition of the event opened its doors to participants from across the country. Nearly 20 per cent of the entries came from outside Haryana, reflecting the growing reach of the championship. Around 250 entries were registered in the men's categories, while over 50 entries were recorded in the women's categories. Several notable names from the IIS stable also featured in the competition, including Kajal (+62 kg), Nishu (53 kg), Suraj (60 kg Greco-Roman, U17 World gold medallist), Sumit (60 kg Greco-Roman, U20 World bronze medallist), and Sumit Malik (57 kg freestyle, U20 World bronze medallist). The championship was conducted in a single day, with three mats in action simultaneously to ensure maximum engagement for both athletes and spectators. The venue saw a packed house and a lively atmosphere, with continuous action throughout the day. IIS Women's Coach Kosei Akaishi and High-Performance Director Gary Hall were present at the venue to scout emerging talent. The IIS Dangal Championship, along with other such initiatives, will serve as a key platform to identify, assess, and nurture promising wrestlers by giving them exposure to senior-level competition and a high-performance competitive environment. Weight Categories and Titles Senior Freestyle (FS) 57 kg: IIS Weight Title 74 kg: IIS Veer Title +74 kg: IIS Yodha Title Senior Greco-Roman (GR) 60 kg: IIS Weight Title 77 kg: IIS Veer Title +77 kg: IIS Yodha Title Senior Women's Wrestling (WW) 53 kg: IIS Weight Title 62 kg: IIS Veer Title +62 kg: IIS Yodha Title Speaking on the championship, Satya Prakash, Head of Operations, SAI-IIS Hisar Centre, said, as per the release, "The IIS Dangal Championship was an excellent opportunity for the next crop of stars. It was a bit of a challenge for us to organise this event as our elite athletes are currently undergoing a national camp. But we saw this as an opportunity to give the next generation of athletes a chance to compete at the senior level and get a feel of high-quality competition. It was a great platform for future stars to express themselves on the mat and learn." Gary Hall, High Performance Director, IIS, added, as per the release, "It's great to be here in Hisar. This Dangal is a great opportunity for young wrestlers to get involved, test themselves, and do their very best. For us, it's really encouraging to see the level of participation. We would encourage any wrestler to get involved in this in the future. It's a great competition run by the team here in Hisar." Full results: IIS Dangal Championship 2026 Seniors - Freestyle 57 KG Gold: Satender (HAR) Silver: Rohit (HAR) Bronze: Sahil Vijender (HAR) Bronze: Sahil Devendar (HAR) 74 KG Gold: Yash (DEL) - IIS Silver: Ankit Jasmer (HAR) Bronze: Sahil Suresh (HAR) Bronze: Mangal (HAR) 125 KG Gold: Rohit (HAR) Silver: Deepak (HAR) Bronze: Arjun (HAR) Bronze: Sachin (HAR) Seniors - Greco-Roman 60 KG Gold: Suraj (HAR) Silver: Kuldeep (HAR) Bronze: Rupin (HAR) Bronze: Himanshu (HAR) 77 KG Gold: Vikas (HAR) Silver: Sachin Kumar (HAR) Bronze: Surajmal (HAR) Bronze: Dheeraj (HAR) 130 KG Gold: Vipin (DEL) Silver: Nishanth (HAR) Bronze: Joginder (HAR) Bronze: Pardeep (HAR) Seniors - Women's Wrestling 53 KG Gold: Nishu (HAR) - IIS Silver: Swati (UP) Bronze: Saarika (HAR) Bronze: Nancy (DEL) 62 KG Gold: Anjali (HAR) Silver: Kajal (HAR) Bronze: Tannu (UKD) Bronze: Sakshi (HAR) 76 KG Gold: Chanchal (HAR) Silver: Priyanka (HAR) Bronze: Manju (HAR) Bronze: Mansi (HAR). (ANI)
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