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Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Raksha Nikhil Khadse on Tuesday described India's hosting of the 47th World Armwrestling and 28th World Para Armwrestling Championship 2026 as a "very big opportunity", expressing her commitment to encouraging the sport across the country.
Raksha Khadse visited the 47th World Armwrestling & 28th World Para Armwrestling Championship 2026, currently underway at the Leela Ambience Convention Hotel, New Delhi, according to a press release. Being held in India for the first time, the Championship is running from October 29 to November 6, 2026, and has brought together more than 1,700 athletes, officials and supporters from over 60 countries, making it one of the largest international armwrestling events ever staged. The Championship is hosted by the People's Armwrestling Federation of India (PAFI), led by Preeti Jhangiani, President of PAFI and Vice President of the Asian Armwrestling Federation (AAF), along with Parvinn Dabass, Co-founder of the Pro Panja League, under the affiliation and guidance of the World Armwrestling Federation (WAF). During her visit, the Minister watched the bouts, interacted with athletes and officials, and conveyed her best wishes to all the participating nations, including India's armwrestlers and para armwrestlers competing on home soil. India has secured an impressive 58 medals so far at the 2026 World Armwrestling & Para-Armwrestling Championships, comprising 9 gold, 19 silver and 30 bronze medals. The tally includes 26 medals in para categories, 20 across sub-junior, junior and youth categories, and 12 in masters and grand masters categories. Speaking on the occasion, Raksha Khadse said, "For us, it is a very big opportunity that India is hosting the 47th World Armwrestling & 28th Para World Armwrestling Championship 2026 competition. All the very best from my side to everyone here. I am trying to encourage this armwrestling competition in our India also. And thus, through this, definitely we all together can make something good for our country also." The Minister's visit adds to the strong institutional support the Championship has received since its formal inauguration on October 29, 2026, by Union Minister of Parliamentary & Minority Affairs Shri Kiren Rijiju and Member of Parliament Shri Anurag Singh Thakur. Hosting the 47th World Armwrestling & 28th Para Armwrestling Championship builds on India's rapid rise in the sport, following the Asian Armwrestling Cup in Mumbai in 2024 and the Asian Armwrestling & Para Armwrestling Championship 2025 in New Delhi, where India won 176 medals and finished second overall. The momentum from the World Championship will carry into the upcoming Pro Panja League (PPL) Poonawalla Gold Edition II, to be held in Pune on November 28, 2026. Organised by PPL in partnership with the Poonawalla Group, the event will feature elite Indian and international armwrestlers, including World Championship medallists Yogesh Choudhary (Gold, Master Women +80 kg Right; & Bronze Left), Harkomal Singh Gill (Silver, Youth Men 85 kg Right) and Aabhas Rana (Bronze, Junior Boys +90 kg Left). The Championship continues until November 6, 2026, with world titles to be decided across able-bodied and para categories. (ANI)
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