Haryana Sweeps Entire Wrestling Squad for 2026 Asian Games

Every single wrestler representing India at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya hails from the state of Haryana.

The Squad Breakdown

The 15-member Indian wrestling squad comprises six women, five men in freestyle, and four in Greco-Roman wrestling, originating from seven districts of the state. Jhajjar alone contributes five athletes to the team, including Olympic bronze medallist Aman Sehrawat and Tokyo Olympian Deepak Punia. Aspiring wrestlers travel more than 1,000 kilometres from states like Meghalaya and Maharashtra to train at facilities such as the Raipur Sports Academy in Sonepat and the Chhotu Ram Stadium in Rohtak.

Driving Factors

Coaches credit Haryana's unmatched dominance to an early transition from traditional mud wrestling (mitti kushti) to mat wrestling during the 1990s. International medals won by Sushil Kumar in 2008 and 2012, Yogeshwar Dutt, Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia, Ravi Dahiya, and Aman Sehrawat sparked a massive surge in local interest. For women, the turning point arrived when the Phogat sisters won medals at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, followed by Sakshi Malik's Olympic medal, which transformed local attitudes and drove high academy admissions.

Context

Haryana's sports culture deeply integrates physical training into daily life, supported by active parental involvement in nutrition and training regimens. Over the decades, local akharas developed a self-sustaining system that continuously produces elite international contenders.