Zagreb Open 2024 wrestling ranking series: Bajrang Punia, Antim Panghal to skip meet - full India squad

Tokyo Olympic medallist Bajrang Punia and two-time junior world champion Antim Panghal will skip the Zagreb Open 2024 Ranking Series, scheduled in the Croatian capital from January 10 to 14.

A total of 13 Indian wrestlers will compete at the Zagreb Open wrestling tournament, the first ranking series of the year.

Both Bajrang and Antim were initially considered for the meet. While Bajrang is yet to start training after undergoing a thumb surgery recently, Antim’s coach Vikas Bhardwaj revealed that his student will be attending the National Sports Awards on January 9, where she will be conferred with the Arjuna Award.

Pooja Gehlot, Mansi Ahlawat and Kiran, all of whom wrestled at the 2023 Asian Games, will also skip the Zagreb meet.

Aman Sehrawat, a former U23 world champion and reigning Asian champion, Olympian Deepak Punia, who won a silver medal in the 2019 world championships, and Sonam Malik, a junior world championships silver medal winner are in the team.

All three won medals at the Asian Games in Hangzhou last year. While Deepak Punia clinched India’s solitary silver at the continental event in the men’s 86kg, Aman Sehrawat and Sonam Malik bagged bronze in the men’s 57kg and women’s 62kg, respectively.

Among the Greco-Roman wrestlers, Asian Games medallist Sunil Kumar (87kg) is also part of the Indian contingent.

India’s squad for the Zagreb Open includes five men’s freestyle wrestlers, two women’s freestyle grapplers and six entries in the Greco-Roman category.

The team was announced on Tuesday by Bhupinder Singh Bajwa, chairman of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA)-appointed three-member ad-hoc committee which oversees the day-to-day affairs on behalf of the suspended Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) in the country.

The Zagreb Open will be the first international competition for Indian grapplers of the year as well as the first ranking series in the 2024 United World Wrestling (UWW) calendar).

The touring party will also comprise nine coaches and support staff and three referees. Coach Kuldeep Singh was named the team leader.

Indian wrestling team for Zagreb Open 2024 Ranking Series - full list

Men’s freestyle

• Aman Sehrawat (57kg)
• Yash (74kg)
• Deepak Punia (86kg)
• Vicky (97kg)
• Sumit (125kg)

Greco-Roman

• Gyanender (60kg)
• Neeraj (67kg)
• Vikas (77kg)
• Sunil Kumar (87kg)
• Narinder Cheema (97kg)
• Naveen (130kg)

Women’s freestyle

• Sonam Malik (62kg)
• Radhika (68kg)