Vishvajit Ramchandra More Makes History with Silver at U23 World Championships
Historic Achievement for Indian Wrestling
File image of Indian wrestler Vishvajit Ramchandra More(Photo: @Soham_619/X)
Las Vegas, Oct 15: Indian wrestler Vishvajit Ramchandra More has made history by securing the first-ever silver medal for India in the Greco-Roman category at the U23 World Championships held here on Thursday.
More, a two-time bronze medalist at the U23 level, narrowly lost to Georgia's Koba Karumidze with a score of 12-13 in the final moments of the men’s 55kg Greco-Roman match.
He became the first Indian wrestler to reach the finals in this category at the U23 World Championships, showcasing his talent with three impressive victories. He began his journey with a 10-8 win against Isaac Marin Mata from Mexico, which led him to a quarterfinal clash with U20 world champion Armin Shamsipour of Iran. More executed a spectacular four-point throw against Shamsipour, who appeared to sustain a shoulder injury, resulting in an 8-1 victory.
The semifinal against Malik Gigiev of Russia was equally exhilarating, with both wrestlers facing challenges, but More emerged victorious with a score of 6-4.
Entering the final, More aimed to become the first Indian to win a gold medal in Greco-Roman wrestling at the U23 Worlds, but fell short against the Georgian competitor, who had also faced a tough semifinal against Kyrgyzstan's Barsbek Asankozhoev.
India's overall performance was marred by administrative issues, as nine U23 wrestlers, including those in Greco-Roman and women's categories, were denied visas to participate in the championships due to being under 20 and lacking full-time employment.
Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Sanjay Singh expressed frustration over the situation, stating, "The US Embassy rejected the visas of nine Indian wrestlers on the grounds that they are unemployed. This unprecedented refusal has cost India potential gold medals, as at least two of the denied wrestlers were strong contenders. The fault lies entirely with the US Embassy, leading to a significant loss for India in terms of medals."