Two stage trials open World Championships route for Asian Games wrestlers | Other Sports News

The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has decided to hold two-stage trials for the 2026 Senior World Championships, giving wrestlers selected for the Asian Games a chance to also compete for a place in the World Championships team.

According to a WFI circular, wrestlers selected to represent India at the upcoming Asian Games in Japan will not be barred from participating in the Senior World Championships selection trials.

Instead, they will have the opportunity to challenge for a World Championships berth through a “final trial”.

The move is particularly significant because the Asian Games are scheduled for later in September, while the Senior World Championships will be held soon afterwards in Astana, Kazakhstan, from October 24 to November 1.

First phase on September 14 and 15 WFI’s first round of Senior World Championships trials will be held in the six Olympic weight categories on September 14 at IG Stadium in New Delhi while trials for the men’s freestyle and Greco-Roman style will be held on September 15 at SAI Centre in Lucknow.

How the second phase will work If an Asian Games-selected wrestler does not participate in the September 14-15 World Championships trials, the winner in that weight category will subsequently be required to face the Asian Games-selected wrestler in a “final trial”.

However, an Asian Games-selected wrestler is not barred from taking part in the first trial.

If that wrestler chooses to compete and finishes first, WFI says he or she will be selected for the World Championships and “no final trial” will be conducted in that weight category.

In effect, the September trials establish the challenger, while a second contest will determine the final World Championships representative where the Asian Games selection creates an overlap.

The dates for the final trials are yet to be announced.

The men’s freestyle 86kg and 130kg Greco-Roman categories will not follow this final trial provision.

The wrestler finishing first in these two categories in the September 15 trials will be selected to represent India at the Senior World Championships. This is because India will go unrepresented in these two weight classes at the Asian Games due to failed dope tests of Mukul Dahoya (86kg) and Deepanshu (130kg).

The WFI had earlier decided to field separate teams for the U23 and Senior World Championships.

The U23 World Championships are scheduled in Las Vegas from October 12 to 18 while the Senior World Championships in Kazakhstan begin just six days later, on October 24.

The unusually short gap prompted WFI to conclude that asking the same wrestlers to compete at both championships would leave insufficient time for recovery and preparation.

WFI said that wrestlers found guilty of indiscipline during the current year at the National Coaching Camp will not be permitted to participate.