The U20 World Wrestling Championships in Samokov, Bulgaria, have turned into a statement of intent from India’s young wrestling brigade. On a stage featuring the best junior wrestlers from around the globe, Indian girls have held their own and forced the world to take notice. India’s medal tally at the event includes a total of 5 medals, 4 of which were won by girls. It includes one gold and three silvers, showing both the depth of the country’s talent and the promise of what lies ahead for women’s wrestling in India.
Tapasya Creates History with 57kg Gold
The headline moment came from Tapsya, who scripted history by clinching India’s first gold medal of this edition in the women’s 57kg category. Facing Norway’s Felicitas Domajeva in the final, the 19-year-old displayed a mix of resilience and aggression, pulling off a 5-2 win to clinch the title.
Her journey to the final was just as inspiring. She began with a dominant win by fall, stormed past France’s Romaissa El Kharroubi, and stunned Japan’s defending champion Sowaka Uchida in a tense 4-3 semi-final. The composure she showed against top international opponents reflects her readiness for bigger stages, including the Senior World Championships in Croatia next month.
Tapasya’s victory also carries symbolic weight; it is only the second time an Indian woman has claimed a junior world title after Antim Panghal, and that puts her firmly in the spotlight as a name to watch in Indian wrestling.
Silver Medal Performances Add Strength
While Tapsya’s gold was the crown jewel, India’s performance was reinforced by several strong silver-medal finishes.
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Srishti (68kg) battled her way into the final after an impressive 7-3 win over Germany’s Laura Koehler. In the title clash, however, she ran into Japan’s Ray Hoshino and went down 0-7. Despite the loss, her silver medal marked an important breakthrough, establishing her as a rising force in her weight class.
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Reena (55kg) impressed as she advanced to the final after a series of commanding wins, including an 11-1 semifinal triumph over Romania’s Alexandra Voiculescu. In the final, she had to settle for silver after falling 2-10 against Everest Leydecker of the USA. Still, her consistent run, coupled with her earlier Asian titles, confirms her as a wrestler capable of holding her own on the world stage.
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Priya Malik (76kg) reached her third straight U20 World Championship final. She breezed through her semifinal with a 10-0 win over Serbia’s Evelin Ujhelji, but in the final, Ukraine’s Nadia Sokolovska proved too strong, defeating Priya by fall. For Priya, however, the silver adds to her growing list of international achievements.
Adding further optimism, Kajal (72kg), the 2024 Cadet world champion, entered the women’s 72kg final with two dominant wins, keeping India’s medal hopes alive for the concluding days of the competition.
A New Era for Indian Women’s Wrestling
These results matter far beyond the medal count. Wrestling has long been one of India’s most consistent Olympic sports, but the emergence of so many young women wrestlers together is a significant shift. The fact that India had four finalists in the space of two days underlines the growing depth of the women’s circuit. Just a decade ago, one or two standout names carried the nation’s hopes. Today, a full lineup of young women is competing strongly against traditional wrestling powerhouses like Japan, Ukraine, and the USA.
The 2025 campaign is also an encouraging sign when compared to last year’s results. In Spain, India managed seven medals but only one gold. This time, with a gold already secured and several silver medals to the tally, the quality of performances shows that the new generation is not intimidated by the global stage.
India’s presence on the global stage of wrestling, along with multiple match-winning performances, is a major source of inspiration for young girls back home who aspire to step onto the mat. Indian wrestling is entering a new era, one that is not defined by individual performances but by collective strength.
Dhanalakshmi Sekar also created a similar record. Read here to know more.
Yash Desai is a renowned journalist with over 10+ years of experience covering sports around the world. He began his career as a News Reporter in Delhi, India, and got an opportunity to cover several World events, including the Olympics, Paralympics, and World Games. He often felt that women’s sports are sidelined and given step-motherly treatment by the mainstream media. To bridge this gap and to build an equal playing field, Yash co-founded FemaleInSports and is currently working as a Lead Editor here.
