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India received good news from Tirana in Albania on Sunday night as young grappler Chirag Chikkara became only the second ever male wrestler from India to win the Under-23 World Championship. Chikkara defeated Kyrgyzstan’s Abdymalik Karachov 4-3 in the men’s 57kg category final in Tirana on Sunday.

The 18-year-old grappler being only the second male wrestler after Paris Olympics 2024 bronze medallist Aman Sehrawat to win the Under-23 World Championship gold, which he has achieved in 2022. Apart from these two, woman grappler Reetika Hooda also won the U-23 World Wrestling Championship gold medal in 2023.

Chirag made a phenomenal comeback in the final few seconds of his final against the Kyrgyz opponent, coming back from 2-3 down to win the bout 4-3.

CHIRAG IS CROWNED AS U23 WRESTLING WORLD CHAMPION

Chirag beat Abdymalik Karachovin 57 kg.

SF – W vs Oralbek 8-0
QF – W vs Iavbatirov (AIN) 12-2
R16 – W vs Ozawa 6-1

Ravi Kumar Dahiya (2018) were past U23 Worlds medalists in FS 57kg. pic.twitter.com/cQACxa19TZ

— SPORTS ARENA (@SportsArena1234) October 27, 2024

Chirag had earlier defeated Kazakhstan’s Allan Oralbek in the semi-final to book his place in the title round. He had defeated Japan’s Gatuko Ozawa 6-1 in the first round and then got the better of Iunus Iavbatirov 12-2 in the quarter-final.

India’s Sujeet Kalkal bounced back from a 0-4 deficit to beat Muhammad Akhmedov of Tajikistan 13-4 to win bronze in the men’s 70kg category at the U-23 Wrestling World Championships. While Vicky beat junior world silver medallist and European junior gold medallist Ivan Prymachenko of Ukraine 7-2 to win bronze in the men’s 97kg category at the U-23 Wrestling World Championships.

For Chirag, it was a justified reward after battling back from a knee injury he suffered in a Under-16 national championships in Haryana, which forced him to quit the sport for three years. The Under-23 World Championships was Chirag’s first event since making a comeback from injury.

Apart from Chirag and Aman Sehrawat, Tokyo Olympics medallist Ravi Dahiya had also won the silver medal at the 2018 Under-23 World Wrestling Championships.