Vishvajit More Wins Historic Silver at U23 World Championships After Heartbreaking Final Defeat

Maharashtra wrestler becomes the first Indian Greco-Roman wrestler to reach a U23 World Championships final, narrowly losing 12-13 to Georgia’s Koba Karumidze in the 55kg gold-medal bout.

Vishvajit Ramchandra More scripted a landmark chapter in Indian wrestling history at the U23 World Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas, becoming the first Indian Greco-Roman wrestler to reach a world final in the under-23 category. However, his remarkable campaign ended in heartbreak on Thursday as Georgia’s Koba Karumidze snatched the 55kg gold medal with a decisive point in the final second, leaving More with a historic silver.

More lost the final 12-13 in a fiercely contested encounter that saw the Indian recover from significant deficits before being edged out in the closing moments. Although the defeat denied him a historic gold, his silver medal represents a major breakthrough for Indian Greco-Roman wrestling, a discipline in which the country has traditionally struggled to achieve comparable success at the global level.

The result also marked an improvement in medal colour for More, who had previously won two bronze medals at the U23 World Championships. His performance in Las Vegas demonstrated his ability to challenge established international opponents and compete for the highest honours.

The 55kg final against Karumidze was a dramatic contest that remained alive until the final second. More found himself trailing 0-5 before mounting a determined comeback. Even after falling behind 5-9, the Indian continued to attack and gradually turned the contest around, eventually moving ahead 12-9.

With the gold medal within reach, More appeared to have completed an extraordinary recovery. However, Karumidze managed to secure a stepout point in the closing moments, bringing the score to 12-10 and leaving the contest to be decided on criteria, according to the reported scoring sequence.

The Georgian ultimately emerged as the winner, with the decisive point arriving with just one second remaining. For More, it was a painful conclusion to a final in which his second-period resurgence had put him in contention for the title. The narrow margin underlined how small the difference can be between winning a world championship and finishing with silver.

Despite the disappointment, the Indian had already achieved something unprecedented for the country in Greco-Roman wrestling at this level.

Historic Route to the Gold-Medal Bout

More’s journey to the final was built on a series of impressive performances against highly regarded opponents. He began his campaign with a 10-8 victory over Mexico’s Isaac Marin Mata, setting up a quarter-final meeting with Iran’s Armin Shamsipour, the reigning U20 world champion and one of the favourites for the title.

More delivered one of the standout performances of the competition in that bout, using a four-point throw to secure an emphatic 8-1 victory. The result sent a strong message about his medal ambitions and earned him a place in the semi-finals.

His next challenge was Russia’s Malik Gigiev, against whom More produced another composed performance under pressure.

The semi-final featured dramatic exchanges, including a four-point counter by Gigiev and a four-point response from More. After a lengthy review, the Indian moved ahead 5-4 and extended his advantage with a stepout in the second period.

A late Russian challenge was unsuccessful, adding another point to More’s score. The Indian eventually secured a 7-4 victory to book his place in the final.

That win was historic in itself: More became the first Indian wrestler to reach a Greco-Roman final at the U23 World Championships.

More’s silver medal represents another significant step in his development. Having already won two bronze medals at the U23 world level, he has now demonstrated that he can progress beyond the podium’s third step and challenge for a world title.

His run also highlighted the potential within Indian Greco-Roman wrestling. More’s victories over Shamsipour and Gigiev showed that Indian wrestlers can compete with opponents from established wrestling nations when they combine technical execution, tactical awareness and resilience.

The final defeat will inevitably leave questions about how the closing seconds unfolded, particularly after More had overturned a substantial deficit. Nevertheless, the result should not overshadow the significance of his overall campaign. For a wrestler who entered the tournament as a two-time bronze medallist, reaching the final and taking the contest to the last second represents a considerable achievement.

India’s wrestling success at international level has often been associated with freestyle, making More’s achievement especially important. His silver medal provides a rare breakthrough for the Greco-Roman discipline and establishes a new benchmark for future Indian competitors.

More came within seconds of becoming the country’s first U23 world champion in Greco-Roman wrestling. Instead, he leaves Las Vegas with silver and the distinction of being India’s first finalist in the category.

The narrow defeat against Karumidze will hurt, given how close More came to completing the comeback. But the bigger picture is clear: the Maharashtra wrestler has moved Indian Greco-Roman wrestling into unprecedented territory.

His campaign combined a major quarter-final upset, a high-pressure semi-final victory and a dramatic world final. While the gold medal slipped away in the final second, More’s historic silver offers a foundation on which Indian Greco-Roman wrestling can build.

For More, the next challenge will be to convert this breakthrough into future gold medals. For Indian wrestling, his performance in Las Vegas is evidence that the country can aspire to greater success in a discipline where it has long sought a defining international achievement.