Chirag Chikkara becomes the second Indian male to win a gold at the U23 World Championship.

Chirag Chikkara Clinches Historic Gold as Second Indian Male Champion at U23 World Championships

Written by: Supriya Kadu

Edited by: Omkar Devadkar

Last Updated: October 28, 2024

Summary: Chirag Chikkara wins gold in the 57kg division at the U23 World Championships on Sunday, making him the second Indian male wrestler to do so.

India won nine medals in the age group event here, including gold and silver, with Chirag Chikkara being the third Indian wrestler to win the Under-23 world championship.

Chirag Chikkara, who competed in the men's freestyle 57kg division, defeated Kyrgyz Abdymalik Karachov by a thin-margin of 4-3.

Aman Sehrawat, the gold medalist in the Paris Olympics, becomes the second Indian male to win gold at the U23 World Championships.

Last year, Reetika Hooda became the first Indian woman to win gold after winning in the 76kg category. Sehrawat accomplished the same feat in the same division at the 2022 event.

After giving some outstanding performances, with victories over Gaukoto Ozawa 6-1 in the pre-quarterfinals, Iunus Iavbatirov 12-2 in the eighth round, and Allan Oralbek 8-0 in the semifinals, Chikkara reached the finals.

In 2018, Ravi Kumar Dahiya took home a silver medal from the U23 World Championships.

India finished fourth in the team rankings with 82 points, just behind Iran (158), Japan (102), and Azerbaijan (100), with two bronze medals in the men's freestyle division.

The Indian women's wrestling team were also exceptional, winning three bronze and one silver medal. Anjali: won silver in the 59kg division, Neha Sharma: 57kg, Shiksha: 65kg, and Monika: 68kg, each took home the bronze.