India Celebrates Historic Success at World Armwrestling Championship 2026
India's Remarkable Achievement in Armwrestling
India has successfully wrapped up the 47th World Armwrestling and 28th World Para Armwrestling Championship 2026, securing an impressive fifth place among 65 competing nations. This significant accomplishment took place in front of a supportive home crowd in New Delhi. The People's Armwrestling Federation of India (PAFI) and Pro Panja League had set ambitious targets: to achieve a top-ten finish in 2026 and to break into the top five within three years. Remarkably, India has achieved this goal three years ahead of schedule.
The Indian team amassed a total of 59 medals, comprising 9 Gold, 19 Silver, and 31 Bronze. Notably, para athletes contributed significantly with 26 medals (2 Gold, 10 Silver, 14 Bronze), placing India fifth in the para rankings. The sub-junior, junior, and youth categories collectively added 20 medals (3 Gold, 8 Silver, 9 Bronze), while the masters and grandmasters secured 12 medals (4 Gold, 1 Silver, 7 Bronze). The senior category contributed 1 Bronze medal. Jincymol Sebastian excelled by winning gold in both arms in the Grand Master Women 80 kg category, while Yogesh Choudhary and Shoukath VT each claimed gold in right-arm and bronze in left-arm categories, respectively. Madhura K N also earned a bronze in Senior Women 70 kg (Right).
Leadership and Development Initiatives
The Pro Panja League, co-founded by Preeti Jhangiani and Parvinn Dabass, aims to professionalize armwrestling in India and create a structured pathway from grassroots to international competition. Under Jhangiani's leadership, who serves as the President of PAFI and Vice President of the Asian Armwrestling Federation (AAF), India hosted the World Armwrestling and Para Armwrestling Championship for the first time in its history. Competing on home turf, Indian athletes faced off against top armwrestling nations such as Russia, Kazakhstan, Bulgaria, Türkiye, Georgia, Ghana, and Australia.
Reflections on the Achievement
Parvinn Dabass, Co-founder of Pro Panja League, expressed, "Achieving fifth place globally is a testament to the incredible efforts of two exceptional groups of athletes: our para armwrestlers and able-bodied competitors. Our para athletes contributed nearly half of India's total medals, securing fifth place in both the para and able-bodied categories. Our junior, masters, and senior athletes matched this spirit in every bout. We aimed to reach the top five within three years, and these athletes made it happen this year. They have demonstrated that Indian armwrestling possesses strength across all categories, and Pro Panja League will continue to develop the platform they deserve."
Preeti Jhangiani remarked, "Hosting the World Championship was a privilege for India, and finishing fifth overall is a strong validation of the federation's efforts. This achievement came ahead of our planned timeline and highlights the depth of talent in our country across various age groups and in para armwrestling. We are dedicated to maintaining this momentum so that Indian athletes can continue to excel on the international stage."
Looking Ahead: Future Tournaments
The next World Armwrestling Championship is scheduled to take place in Canada in 2027. In India, the Pro Panja League Poonawalla Gold Edition II is set for November 28, 2026, in Pune, featuring World Championship medallists Yogesh Choudhary, Harkomal Singh Gill, and Aabhas Rana.
PAFI organized the championship under the auspices of the World Armwrestling Federation (WAF). The event was held from October 29 to November 6, 2026, at The Leela Ambience Convention Hotel in East Delhi, attracting over 1,700 athletes, officials, and delegates. Russia claimed the overall championship title, followed by Kazakhstan in second place and Turkey in third.