Amruta Pujari Wins Silver at U23 Wrestling Worlds, Continuing Family Legacy

Amruta Pujari won a silver medal in the 72 kg category at the U23 World Championships, marking the biggest achievement of her career and a rare international success for a wrestler from Maharashtra.

Family Tradition

The medal carries forward a long family wrestling tradition in Shirol village of Kolhapur. Amruta's great-grandfather was a famous mud wrestler, and her late grandfather Balu Pujari was also a mud wrestler who deeply influenced her. Her father Shashikant Pujari noted that financial difficulties prevented him from pursuing the sport actively, but Balu Pujari ensured that Amruta took up wrestling before passing away during the COVID pandemic. Her grandfather frequently visited her at the Sports Authority of India center in Kolhapur to advise her on diet, explain her mistakes, and keep her focused on mat wrestling.

Training and Path

Amruta trains at the Sadashivrao Mandalik National Wrestling Centre in Murgud, Kolhapur, which operates under the patronage of former MP Sanjay Mandalik. Her coach Dadaso Sopan Lavate noted that the medal is the biggest of his career and for the academy. At the U23 Worlds, Amruta fought three bouts. She pinned her opponents in the first two matches but was pinned in the final by Ukraine's Iryna Zablotska. Lavate pointed out that her exhaustion, lack of big tournament experience, and need for better game awareness contributed to the final defeat, as she tried to finish the match quickly before being counter-attacked.

Future Plans

The success is also notable for wrestlers from Maharashtra, who have often stayed behind those from Haryana and Delhi in Olympic-style mat wrestling. With the U23 circuit behind her, Amruta now prepares for the senior level. Since the 72 kg weight class is a non-Olympic category, coach Lavate stated she will likely drop down to 68 kg as the Olympic qualification cycle approaches for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

Context

Transitioning from junior and U23 categories to the senior international level is a major step for athletes, often requiring adjustments in weight, physical endurance, and tactical pacing. Weight categories in Olympic wrestling frequently force athletes to choose between dropping or gaining weight to fit official divisions. Maharashtra has a rich historical association with mud wrestling, though modern international competition centers entirely on mat wrestling.