India Clinches 59 Medals as Russia Dominates World Armwrestling Championship
India concludes its first-ever hosting of the World Armwrestling Championship with 59 medals, while Russia claims the overall title.
India concluded its historic first outing as the host of the World Armwrestling Championship on a high note, securing a total of 59 medals. The 47th World Armwrestling and 28th World Para Armwrestling Championship 2026 wrapped up with a grand closing ceremony at The Leela Ambience Convention Hotel in East Delhi, marking a milestone for the sport in the country.
Russia Tops the Global Standings
While India celebrated a strong home performance, the overall leaderboard was dominated by Russia, who finished as the overall champions. Kazakhstan secured the second position, followed by Turkey in third place.
The tournament witnessed extraordinary displays of strength, with six athletes achieving the rare feat of winning senior gold medals on both arms:
- Melek Celik and Esra Kiraz (Türkiye)
- Ulbossyn Elmurat and Yerdualet Nurmakhan (Kazakhstan)
- Irina Driaeva and Tengizi Natsvlishvili (Georgia)
India's Medal Haul: A Detailed Breakdown
India's tally of 59 medals consists of 9 Gold, 19 Silver, and 31 Bronze. The success was spread across various age and ability categories, showcasing the depth of Indian armwrestling:
Para Armwrestling
Indian para athletes delivered a stellar performance, contributing 26 medals (2 Gold, 10 Silver, and 14 Bronze), which placed India fifth on the global para medal table.
Youth and Junior Categories
The future of the sport looked bright as sub-junior, junior, and youth athletes added 20 medals to the tally, including 3 Gold, 8 Silver, and 9 Bronze.
Masters and Seniors
The masters and grand masters category brought in 12 medals (4 Gold, 1 Silver, and 7 Bronze). Notably, Jincymol Sebastian dominated the Grand Master Women 80 kg category, winning gold on both arms. Yogesh Choudhary and Shoukath VT each secured gold in the right-arm competition and bronze in the left-arm. In the senior category, Madhura K N earned a bronze medal in the Women 70 kg right-arm event, contributing to the overall total.
Global Praise for Indian Hospitality
The event, hosted by the People’s Armwrestling Federation of India (PAFI) under the World Armwrestling Federation (WAF), brought together over 1,700 athletes, officials, and supporters from more than 60 nations. The scale and organization of the event earned praise from international delegates.
"India has set a new standard as a host. The organisation, the hospitality and the passion of the crowd made this a Championship every continent will remember," said Charles Osei Asibey, President of the Armwrestling Federation of Africa.
Phil Rasmussen, President of Armwrestling Australia, added that New Delhi delivered a world-class experience and noted that India's rise in the sport is remarkable, asserting that Indian athletes now belong on the world stage.
Looking Ahead: From Delhi to Pune and Canada
Preeti Jhangiani, President of PAFI and Co-founder of Pro Panja League, expressed her pride in the athletes' achievements on home soil, while Parvinn Dabass, Co-founder of Pro Panja League, described hosting the event as a benchmark for the future of "Panja" in India.
The championship, which ran from October 29 to November 6, 2026, will move to Canada next year. However, the action continues in India with the Pro Panja League Poonawalla Gold Edition II scheduled for November 28, 2026, in Pune. This upcoming event will feature World Championship medallists including Yogesh Choudhary, Harkomal Singh Gill, and Aabhas Rana.