Kajal Dhochak and Neelam Sirohi returned from the Wrestling World Championships in Astana with two silver medals on Wednesday, 28 October 2026, after both lost their finals. It was the first time two Indian women had reached the final at the same edition of the Worlds, according to India Today.
Neelam, 26, was beaten by Japan’s Yui Susaki in the 50kg final, while 18 year old Kajal lost a tight 76kg final 6 to 8 to Ukraine’s Anastasiya Alpyeyeva. India’s wait for a first women’s world title goes on, but the two results rank among the best days Indian women’s wrestling has had on the senior stage.
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Kajal and Neelam join Anshu Malik
Before this week, Anshu Malik was the only Indian woman to have reached a World Championships final. She won silver in the 57kg category in Oslo in 2021. Sportstar reported that Neelam and Kajal have now joined her as the only Indian women with silver medals at the tournament.
Kajal’s medal carries a separate distinction. She is the first Indian woman to win a World Championships medal in a heavyweight category, India Today reported. She achieved it on her senior debut at the Worlds.
Neelam runs into Yui Susaki
Neelam faced one of the most decorated wrestlers of her generation in the 50kg final. Susaki, an Olympic gold medallist from Tokyo, suffered a shock defeat to India’s Vinesh Phogat in the round of 16 at the Paris 2024 Olympics. In Astana she gave Neelam no openings.
Hindustan Times reported that Neelam held her own for about two minutes before Susaki found her range with a left leg attack, scored a takedown and then pinned the Indian inside the first period with the score at 0 to 5. It was Susaki’s fifth world title, and she did not concede a single point all tournament.
The two had met earlier this year, when Susaki won 11 to 0 at the Asian Championships in Bishkek in April. After the Paris loss Susaki sat out the 2025 season. Speaking to United World Wrestling in March, she said there were “moments when I lost faith in myself†after that defeat, Hindustan Times reported.
Neelam’s road to the 50kg final
Neelam, the eighth seed, opened with a 6 to 0 win over Belarus’ Natallia Varakina. She went through the quarterfinal after Russia’s Elizaveta Smirnova withdrew injured, and then beat Kazakhstan’s Zeinep Bayanova 7 to 3 in the semifinal, using a four point throw to take control, IANS reported.
Hailing from Mathura in Uttar Pradesh, Neelam comes from a wrestling family; her grandfather, uncles and sister have all been in the sport. She trains at Najafgarh Stadium in Delhi under women’s chief coach Virender Dahiya, India Today said. Her earlier senior Worlds appearances had ended without a medal.
Kajal falls short in the closing seconds
Kajal’s final against Alpyeyeva, a two time European champion, was much closer. The first period ended 2 to 2 after a step out point and passivity points on both sides. In the second period Alpyeyeva scored a two point throw and Kajal answered with a double leg takedown to level the bout at 4 to 4.
With the scores tied, Kajal was ahead on criteria as the clock wound down. In the final half minute Alpyeyeva broke through her defence to lead 8 to 4, and a late Kajal takedown was not enough. Sportstar described the move as a turn with exposure, while Hindustan Times reported two throws in quick succession.
A teenager with two junior world titles
Kajal arrived in Astana as a two time U20 world champion. She won the 72kg junior title in 2025, beating China’s Liu Yuqi 8 to 6 in the final, and took the 76kg junior crown in 2026 with a 7 to 0 win over China’s Jingru Sun, according to India Today.
Her senior campaign included wins over Lithuania’s Kamile Griskiene Gaucaite and Mongolia’s Davaanasan Enkh Amar. In the semifinal she trailed Kyrgyzstan’s Aiperi Medet Kyzy, a three time World Championships medallist, 1 to 7 before coming back to win 10 to 7, one of the comebacks of the tournament.
How other Indians fared
The rest of the day was harder for India. Rajnita’s 65kg campaign ended with a 2 to 6 loss to Japan’s Nana Ikehata in the repechage. Nishu won her first 53kg bout by fall but lost 0 to 8 to Romania’s Andreea Beatrice Ana in the pre quarterfinals, Hindustan Times reported.
Srishti beat Uzbekistan’s Firuza Esenbaeva 8 to 0 in the 68kg category before losing 1 to 5 to Kyrgyzstan’s Meerim Zhumanazarova, and could still reach the medal round through the repechage. Tanu Sharma lost to Poland’s Wiktoria Choluj but stayed alive for bronze after Choluj made the final. The women’s competition ends on Thursday with the 55kg and 59kg categories.
Read more on Bharat Stories about Sakshi Malik’s Olympic medal in 2016, Sushil Kumar’s Olympic medals, and Yogeshwar Dutt’s Olympic medal.
Featured image photo: Azerbaijan Wrestling Federation (awf.az), CC BY SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (a women’s freestyle bout at the 2024 European Olympic qualification tournament in Baku; not a picture of Kajal or Neelam).
FAQ
Who won silver for India at the Wrestling World Championships 2026?
Neelam Sirohi won silver at 50kg and Kajal Dhochak won silver at 76kg in Astana on 28 October 2026.
Who beat Kajal and Neelam in the finals?
Neelam lost by fall to Japan’s Yui Susaki, and Kajal lost 6 to 8 to Ukraine’s Anastasiya Alpyeyeva.
Has an Indian woman won gold at the Worlds?
Not yet. Anshu Malik in 2021 and now Kajal and Neelam have reached the final, all finishing with silver.
Sources
- India Today, 28 October 2026: final results, first heavyweight medal, Kajal’s junior titles and Neelam’s background.
- Sportstar, 28 October 2026: final details, Alpyeyeva’s record and the Anshu Malik comparison.
- Hindustan Times, 28 October 2026: bout descriptions, Susaki’s record and quote, and other Indian results.
- IANS, 28 October 2026: routes to the final and remaining schedule.