World Wrestling Championships 2026: Lalit Enters Repechage as India Faces Tough Greco-Roman Opening Day in Astana

Lalit lost his 55kg quarterfinal against Iran’s Payam Ahmadi, while Prince and Lovepreet Singh also bowed out as India’s Greco-Roman wrestlers faced a difficult opening day at the World Championships in Kazakhstan.

India endured a challenging start to the Greco-Roman events at the 2026 World Wrestling Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan, as Lalit, Prince and Lovepreet Singh suffered defeats against established international opposition on Saturday.

Lalit lost 0-9 to Iran’s Payam Ahmadi in the men’s 55kg quarterfinal, while Prince went down 1-3 against Serbia’s veteran Viktor Nemes in the 82kg category. Lovepreet Singh was also eliminated after an 0-8 defeat to Uzbekistan’s Doniyorkhon Nakibov in the 77 kg division.

The opening day featured four Greco-Roman weight categories 55kg, 60kg, 77kg and 82kg with defending champions and several former world medallists in action. While India’s wrestlers struggled to progress, the competition produced dramatic bouts, major upsets and emphatic victories from some of the world’s leading contenders.

Lalit’s campaign in the 55kg category ended in the quarterfinals after a 0-9 defeat to Iran’s Payam Ahmadi, the returning silver medallist.

Ahmadi used his throwing ability to establish a decisive advantage. After going behind Lalit, the Iranian executed a suplex before lifting and throwing the Indian again to build an 8-0 lead. A lost challenge added another point, taking the score to 9-0 and securing victory by technical superiority.

Ahmadi had entered the quarterfinals with momentum after defeating American wrestler Max Nowry 10-1 in an earlier round. His performance against Lalit continued that form and earned him a place in the semifinals. For Lalit, the defeat ended his final hopes in the 55 kg category. The Indian had reached the quarterfinal stage but was unable to match Ahmadi’s attacking intensity in the decisive contest.

The result also underlined the difficulty of competing against wrestlers with established international records, particularly in Greco-Roman wrestling, where a successful throw and subsequent turns can quickly determine a bout.

Prince was India’s representative in the men’s 82kg category and faced a difficult challenge against Serbia’s Viktor Nemes, a former world champion who won gold in 2017. Nemes secured a 3-1 victory, using a high chest wrap from the par terre position to turn Prince and collect the decisive points in the second period.

The contest was interrupted by a lengthy delay to treat a bleeding head cut before the Serbian veteran completed his victory. Nemes advanced in his bid to add another world title to his career, while Prince’s campaign came to an end. The result highlighted the challenge facing India’s wrestlers against experienced opponents who can exploit scoring opportunities in crucial positions. Prince was unable to overturn the deficit against Nemes, who controlled the decisive exchange to progress.

Lovepreet Singh beaten by Uzbekistan’s Nakibov

Lovepreet Singh also exited the competition after losing 0-8 to Uzbekistan’s Doniyorkhon Nakibov in the 77kg category. Nakibov scored through a pair of gut wrenches from the par terre position before adding a takedown in the second period to complete the victory.

The Uzbek wrestler’s ability to convert his scoring opportunities into a technical-superiority win left Lovepreet unable to mount a comeback. Nakibov advanced after a performance built around effective execution from the top position. The result added to a difficult day for India’s Greco-Roman contingent, with all three wrestlers covered in the competition’s opening-session results unable to secure a place in the semifinals.

The opening day in Astana also featured several high-profile results in the international field. At 77kg, defending champion Malkhas Amoyan of Armenia suffered an upset against Kazakhstan’s Merey Maulitkanov, losing 2-4. The home wrestler capitalised on a scoring opportunity during a par terre exchange and secured the victory after a review awarded additional points for a leg foul.

At 82kg, Kyrgyzstan’s Akzhol Makhmudov produced one of the day’s most dramatic comebacks, recovering from a 0-6 deficit to defeat Azerbaijan’s Gurban Gurbanov 7-6. Makhmudov scored a four-point throw with 36 seconds remaining before an unsuccessful challenge added another point.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan’s four-time world champion Eldaniz Azizli advanced to the 55kg semifinals, while Kazakhstan’s Aidos Sultangali progressed at 60kg with a 4-1 victory over Azerbaijan’s Murad Mammadov.

Iran’s Gholamreza Farokhi also continued his title defence at 82kg, defeating Moldova’s Mihail Bradu 9-0 in the quarterfinals.

These results illustrated the level of competition facing India’s wrestlers, with established champions and technically accomplished opponents making the most of their opportunities.

India’s opening-day results in Greco-Roman wrestling were disappointing, with Lalit, Prince and Lovepreet Singh all eliminated from their respective medal contests. The defeats highlighted areas where Indian wrestlers will need to improve, particularly in defending par terre positions and limiting opponents’ scoring opportunities from throws and gutwrenches.

However, the opening session represents only part of the wider World Championships programme. The competition in Astana brings together leading wrestlers across multiple weight categories, providing a demanding test of technique, strength and tactical decision-making.

For India, the priority will be to learn from the opening-day performances and build stronger results in the remaining events. Against a field featuring defending champions and former world medallists, the margin for error is small, and the ability to defend crucial positions can determine the outcome of a match.

The opening day did not deliver the results India would have wanted, but the championships continue to offer opportunities for the contingent to respond and demonstrate its ability against the world’s best.