Neelam Sirohi and Kajal Dhochak Make History as India Chase First Women’s Wrestling World Title

India will have two opportunities to win its first-ever women’s wrestling World Championships gold medal after Neelam Sirohi and 18-year-old Kajal Dhochak stormed into the 50kg and 76kg finals in Astana.

Indian women’s wrestling reached a historic milestone on Tuesday as Neelam Sirohi and Kajal Dhochak secured places in the gold-medal bouts at the 2026 World Wrestling Championships. Neelam defeated Kazakhstan’s Zeinep Bayanova 7-3 in the women’s 50kg semifinal, while Kajal produced a remarkable comeback to beat Kyrgyzstan’s Aiperi Medet Kyzy 10-7 in the 76kg category.

The twin breakthroughs give India two chances to pursue its first-ever senior women’s wrestling world title. Neelam became the second Indian woman to reach a World Championships final, following Anshu Malik’s achievement in Oslo in 2021. Kajal subsequently joined her, becoming the third Indian woman to reach the final of the senior competition.

For Indian wrestling, the achievement is significant not only because of the opportunity to win gold, but also because both finalists arrived at the decisive stage through impressive performances against established international opponents.

Neelam produced a composed performance against home favourite Bayanova, an Asian Games bronze medallist competing in front of the Kazakh crowd. The Indian opened the scoring with a double-leg attack, taking Bayanova down for two points. India challenged the scoring, seeking four points for the move, but the appeal was unsuccessful, giving Bayanova an additional point and leaving Neelam with a narrow 2-1 advantage.

Neelam responded with the decisive sequence of the contest. She executed a four-point toss to extend her lead to 6-1 before adding a step-out point to move ahead 7-1.

Bayanova managed a takedown late in the bout, but the response came too late to threaten Neelam’s advantage. The Indian secured a 7-3 victory and booked her place in the final. The result guarantees Neelam a medal and puts her one win away from becoming a World champion. Her performance also demonstrated the importance of converting scoring opportunities in high-pressure bouts, particularly against opponents backed by home support.

However, the final presents a formidable challenge. Neelam will face Japan’s Yui Susaki, a four-time World champion who returned to the World Championships final after a three-year absence. Susaki reached the final after defeating China’s Ziqi Feng 9-0. The Japanese wrestler has been dominant throughout the competition, recording her fourth consecutive victory without conceding a point in Astana.

Neelam will therefore need to produce another disciplined performance against one of the most accomplished wrestlers in the 50kg category.

Kajal Dhochak Produces a Stunning Comeback

Kajal’s route to the 76kg final was defined by resilience. The 18-year-old, already a two-time U-20 World champion, overcame a 7-1 deficit to defeat Kyrgyzstan’s Medet Kyzy, a returning World Championships silver medallist, 10-7.

The Kyrgyz wrestler initially appeared to have control of the semifinal. Medet Kyzy landed a four-point headlock throw and followed it with two exposure points to establish a substantial lead. India challenged the scoring on two occasions, but both appeals were unsuccessful, adding further pressure on Kajal.

The teenager responded emphatically in the second period. As Medet Kyzy began to tire, Kajal repeatedly found opportunities to attack, scoring takedowns and steadily reducing the deficit. Her comeback culminated in a 10-7 victory, securing a place in the gold-medal bout and guaranteeing India a medal in the women’s 76kg category.

The performance was particularly impressive given the opponent’s pedigree. Medet Kyzy had won World Championships silver medals in 2023 and 2025, making her one of the leading competitors in the division.

Kajal’s ability to recover from a six-point deficit demonstrated her fighting spirit and capacity to remain competitive under pressure. At just 18, she has now progressed from success at the U-20 level to a senior World Championships final.

Kajal will face Ukraine’s Anastasiya Alpyeyeva in the 76kg final. The European champion secured her place in the title bout with an 11-0 victory over Türkiye’s Kadriye Kocak Aksoy. Alpyeyeva built an early advantage before finishing the contest with a double-leg attack that produced four points. Türkiye challenged the scoring, but the decision was upheld, allowing the Ukrainian to complete a dominant semifinal win.

For Kajal, the final will be another examination against an accomplished international opponent. Her comeback against Medet Kyzy has already shown that she can recover from difficult situations, but Alpyeyeva’s attacking ability will demand concentration from the opening exchanges.

A victory would give Kajal a senior World Championships gold medal to add to her two U-20 world titles.

Two Finals, One Historic Opportunity for India

The presence of two Indian women in the finals represents a landmark moment for the country’s wrestling programme. Anshu Malik had previously reached the senior World Championships final in 2021, but India is still seeking its first women’s wrestling world title.

Neelam and Kajal now have the opportunity to change that history in two different weight categories. Their achievements have also come through contrasting semifinal performances. Neelam controlled Bayanova with effective scoring moves and maintained her advantage, while Kajal overcame a major deficit to defeat a highly decorated opponent.

Both approaches have taken them to the same destination: a chance to compete for gold on the sport’s biggest stage. The finals will be demanding, with Susaki’s international record and Alpyeyeva’s European title credentials presenting significant challenges. But India has already secured two medals and placed two wrestlers in positions to pursue a historic first.

For Indian women’s wrestling, Wednesday offers the possibility of a breakthrough that would be remembered well beyond this championship. Neelam Sirohi and Kajal Dhochak have created the opportunity. They now have one final bout each to turn an exceptional campaign into history.