Nishu’s Asian Games Trials Heartbreak Fuels World Championships Bid, Antim Panghal Stands In Way

The KD Jadhav Hall at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi Stadium felt different on Monday as it hosted the World Championships trials. It was quiet, almost subdued, a stark contrast to May 30, when Vinesh Phogat returned to the mat for the first time since the heartbreak of the Paris Olympics. That day had carried an unmistakable charge, but her defeat to Meenakshi Goyat, followed by her failure to secure the Asian Games ticket, slowly drained the arena of that energy.

She had left the arena that day with a promise – "I'll be back" – but she couldn't make it to this one.

The Delhi High Court rejected her plea for provisional entry into Monday's trials, with Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma holding that allowing her to compete would be unfair to the other athletes.

Vinesh's absence left a palpable void, but the show, as it always does in sport, had to go on. The arena found its noise again when former WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh arrived as the chief guest, moving through the venue like a man very much at home.

At one point, he even got involved in decision-making during a bout, while grapplers around him sought his attention, some touching his feet. Ironically, WFI president Sanjay Singh was nowhere to be seen.

Against that backdrop, the wrestling got underway.

Nishu Books Final Trial With Antim

Nishu Bhanwala, 23, won the 53kg category, beating Thiksha by technical superiority in the final. The victory sets up a final trial against Asian Games-bound Antim Panghal, with a World Championships berth at stake.

The story, in many ways, goes back to the same day in May, though against a very different opponent. Nishu had come within touching distance of pinning Vinesh Phogat during the Asian Games trials, racing to a 5-0 lead before Vinesh, returning to competition after motherhood, fought her way into the semi-finals.

That near-miss sent Nishu back to the SAI centre in Hisar with something to prove. On Monday, she completed the turnaround.

The 53kg decider between Nishu and Antim will ultimately determine India's representative in the category at the World Championships in Astana.

Big Upset Hits 57kg

The biggest upset of the day came in the 57kg semi-final. Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Pooja Gehlot lost 6-5 to Maharashtra's Swati Shinde after a call that split the hall. With eight seconds left, Pooja believed she had pinned her opponent. Her coach challenged the decision but the verdict stayed.

Pooja sat beside the mat, shattered by the result, her arms thrown up as she struggled to contain what she was feeling.

She spoke to Outlook once the tears had eased.

"As for the bout, I had pinned her. Despite that, either it's the judges' fault or the referee's. When both sides clearly said that yes, it was a pin, then what was left after that?" she said.

"We work hard the entire year for this very thing. Now, if even this isn't there, then naturally it hurts," she added.

Asked whether she would challenge the decision further, she had little fight left in her voice.

"Nobody listens. Nobody listens even in big protests, what will happen in this?" she said. "If it were my own fault, then I would even accept it. But now, despite a clear victory, what can I even say?"

On The Mat

Meanwhile, the trial results offered another glimpse of the depth and rise of women's wrestling in India. Kajal, a two-time U-20 World Champion, beat Siksha to claim the 76kg title.

Simran got past Swati Shinde in the 57kg final, Neelam defeated Ankush at 50kg, Tapsya won the 62kg category against Anjali, and Srishti beat Bipasha to take the 68kg title.

Brij Bhushan spoke about the Asian Games while addressing the media. Three athletes had failed dope tests, shrinking the squad, but he remained confident that India's medal tally in wrestling would still grow.

"The girls are bringing back medals every single time. Whoever is going, everyone is bringing back medals. There are medals from Greco-Roman as well as freestyle. Earlier we had six medals from wrestling, but this time there will be eight medals," he said.

Asked if wrestling is back on track, he said, "Kushti patri pe laut nahi gayi, daud rahi hai" -- wrestling hasn't just returned to the track, it's sprinting.

Who Won The First Phase Trials

Under the WFI's selection policy, Monday's trial winners have earned the right to challenge the Asian Games-bound wrestlers in a final trial for the Senior World Championships berths. The final trial will be held at a later date.

The 2026 Senior World Wrestling Championships will be held in Astana, Kazakhstan, from October 24 to November 1.

WFI Women's Selection Trials Results

50kg: Neelam – 1st Position | Ankush – 2nd Position

53kg: Nishu – 1st Position | Thishka – 2nd Position

57kg: Simran – 1st Position | Swati Shinde – 2nd Position

62kg: Tapsya – 1st Position | Anjali – 2nd Position

68kg: Srishti – 1st Position | Bipasha – 2nd Position

76kg: Kajal – 1st Position | Siksha – 2nd Position