India secured the runner-up position in the overall team standings at the 2024 Asian ArmWrestling Cup, hosted at Mumbai’s Aurika Skycity Hotel. The hosts finished second on the medal tally, surpassed only by Kazakhstan, the world’s top-ranked armwrestling nation. (More Sports News)
The competition drew participants from nine countries, competing across six divisions: para, masters, sub-junior, junior, youth, and senior categories, with various weight classes represented.
Notable Indian victories included Denic Lalruattluanga from Mizoram, who clinched gold in the Men’s Seniors 80kg Right category, and Yogesh Chaudhary from Haryana, who dominated with double golds in the Women’s Seniors 80kg+ Left and Right categories.
Lalruattluanga experienced a rollercoaster of emotions, starting with a loss in his first match against Kazakh puller Islam Nurmanov. Despite the setback, the determined Mizoram armwrestler fought his way to the finals, where he once again faced Nurmanov. This time, Lalruattluanga entered the match confident, believing he had spotted a weakness in his opponent’s technique.
In a thrilling rematch, made necessary because Islam was undefeated until the finals, Lalruattluanga, known as the ‘Strap Man,’ flash-pinned Nurmanov to secure Gold for India. His decisive victory against the formidable Kazakh competitor marked a proud moment for the Indian contingent.
Yogesh Chaudhary also had a difficult route to glory as she had to battle it out against a strong Kazakh puller, Arailym Kulzhemiyeva. The puller from Haryana got the better of her opponent in both the hands to win the Gold medal for her country.
The total medal tally for India was 223, including 63 gold medals, 100 silver medals and 60 bronze medals.
The Asian ArmWrestling Cup marked a successful milestone for the People’s ArmWrestling Federation India (PAFI), headed by President Preeti Jhangiani. With rights to host the official Asian ArmWrestling Championship in 2025, PAFI sees the Cup’s success as a promising step for future international armwrestling events in India.
