World Wrestling Championships 2026: Schedule, Weight Categories & Indian Squad

Close to 300 Greco-Roman wrestlers, 320 freestyle wrestlers and more than 200 women are bound for Astana. While Greco-Roman starts things on October 24, the World Wrestling Championships 2026 run until November 1. So fans get nine days, 30 weight classes and a long run of medal bouts. Here’s what to know once the mats are rolled out, from the venue to the Indian entries.

Why Astana Is Hosting the World Wrestling Championships 2026

This wasn’t the original plan, because United World Wrestling first awarded the event to Manama, Bahrain. That would have made Bahrain the first Arab host, which means history was on the table. Then, on May 22, the UWW Bureau moved the tournament to Astana. It cited the geopolitical situation, since uncertainty around international travel kept growing.

Astana knows this stage, though. The city hosted the 2019 World Championships, so the sport has been here before. While the host city changed, the dates didn’t, and the matches take place at the Barys Arena. Even so, one Bahrain storyline lives on at the World Wrestling Championships 2026. UWW president Nenad Lalovic once called Akhmed Tazhudinov a Bahrain superstar, and he’s entered at 97 kg.

Day-by-Day Schedule at the World Wrestling Championships 2026

Greco-Roman opens the event, while women’s wrestling takes the middle days and men’s freestyle closes it. Each weight group runs over two days, so qualification and semifinals come first. Then repechage and medal matches follow on day two. Every session starts at 10:30 am local time, while medal matches begin at 6 pm.

Greco-Roman medal matches

• October 25: 55, 60, 77 and 82 kg
• October 26: 72, 97 and 130 kg
• October 27: 63, 67 and 87 kg

Women’s wrestling medal matches

• October 28: 50, 57, 65 and 76 kg
• October 29: 53, 62, 68 and 72 kg
• October 30: 55 and 59 kg

Men’s freestyle medal matches

• October 30: 65 and 97 kg
• October 31: 61, 70, 86 and 125 kg
• November 1: 57, 74, 79 and 92 kg

Brackets arrive a day before each style begins, which means Greco-Roman on October 23. Women’s wrestling follows on October 26, while men’s freestyle comes on October 28. Since Astana runs 30 minutes behind India Standard Time, a 6 pm medal match starts at 6:30 pm in India.

Opening Day at the World Wrestling Championships 2026

Opening day is packed, because four Greco-Roman weights start together. Qualification rounds for 55, 60, 77 and 82 kg begin at 10:30 am. Since the opening ceremony runs at 5:30 pm, semifinals start later, at 7 pm. As a result, Lalit, Sahil, Aman and Prince hit the mat first, and eight finalists are set by night.

Weight Categories at the World Wrestling Championships 2026

Each style has 10 weight classes, so 30 world titles are up for grabs. While Greco-Roman alone has 40 medals on the line, according to UWW, the other two styles follow the same format. Because of this, the full list is easy to scan.

• Men’s freestyle: 57, 61, 65, 70, 74, 79, 86, 92, 97 and 125 kg
• Greco-Roman: 55, 60, 63, 67, 72, 77, 82, 87, 97 and 130 kg
• Women’s wrestling: 50, 53, 55, 57, 59, 62, 65, 68, 72 and 76 kg

Of course, not every class is an Olympic weight. For instance, men’s freestyle 61 kg and women’s 59 kg only appear at the Worlds. Still, each one crowns a world champion. Since the Olympic list is shorter, our guide to wrestling weight categories shows which classes count toward the Games.

While UWW says eight Greco-Roman champions are back to defend their titles, the same goes for freestyle. Meanwhile, four women’s champions return, so the title race is wide open in every style. Yet the Greco-Roman 60, 63 and 130 kg classes will crown new world champions. At 63 kg, though, defending champion Aytjan Khalmakhanov of Uzbekistan has moved up to 67 kg.

How Medals Work at the World Wrestling Championships 2026

Once the draw is made, every weight class starts as a single-elimination bracket. If a wrestler loses to a finalist, repechage gives a path to bronze. As a result, each class hands out four medals: one gold, one silver and two bronze. That’s how Greco-Roman reaches 40 medals, since it has 10 weights.

Bouts are short and sharp, so there’s little time to settle in. Each one has two three-minute periods, and points add up across both, so late rallies matter. A fall ends the bout at once, and so does a big enough lead. If you want the full rulebook, our explainer on freestyle vs Greco-Roman wrestling covers scoring and passivity.

Indian Squad at the World Wrestling Championships 2026

Based on UWW lists released in early October, India has entries in 29 of the 30 weight classes. Yet men’s freestyle 86 kg shows no Indian name. Because entries can change until 72 hours before each draw, treat these as expected, not final. So the names below appear exactly as UWW listed them.

Expected key players

• Greco-Roman: Lalit (55), Sahil (60), Sunny Kumar (63), Sachin Sahrawat (67), Anil (72), Aman (77), Prince (82), Sunil Kumar (87), Nitesh (97), Joginder Rathee (130)
• Women’s wrestling: Neelam (50), Meenakshi (53), Hansika Lamba (55), Manisha (57), Neha (59), Mansi (62), Monika (65), Mansi Lather (68), Harshita (72), Kajal (76)
• Men’s freestyle: Ankush (57), Aman (61), Sujeet (65), Abhimanyou (70), Jaideep (74), Sandeep Mann (79), Punit Kumar (92), Vicky (97), Dinesh (125)

Still, two names stand out before a single bout. Kajal, just 18, arrives at 76 kg after winning U20 world gold in August, so expectations are high. Meanwhile, Sujeet is the freestyle name to track at 65 kg. Since both deserve space, we profile them in our look at Indian wrestlers to watch in Astana.

Recent Form Behind the World Wrestling Championships 2026 Entries

Before the bouts begin, a quick look at recent results helps. Once the 2025 Worlds in Zagreb began, Antim Panghal won bronze, India’s first medal of that edition. That made her a two-time senior world bronze medallist, since she also won bronze in 2023. However, she isn’t on the October entry list, where Meenakshi holds the 53 kg slot.

Meanwhile, Sujeet finished eighth at 65 kg in Zagreb. Since then, he’s won U23 world gold in October 2025, Asian gold in April 2026 and Asian Games gold this month. So he returns with more to prove, even though his weight class holds the world’s top-ranked wrestler.

When Indian Wrestlers Hit the Mat

Since each weight starts a day before its medal matches, the Indian calendar is easy to map. Here’s when each group begins, using the schedule above. The first date marks qualification, while the second marks medal matches.

• October 24–25: Lalit, Sahil, Aman (77) and Prince
• October 25–26: Anil, Nitesh and Joginder Rathee
• October 26–27: Sunny Kumar, Sachin Sahrawat and Sunil Kumar
• October 27–28: Neelam, Manisha, Monika and Kajal
• October 28–29: Meenakshi, Mansi, Mansi Lather and Harshita
• October 29–30: Hansika Lamba, Neha, Sujeet and Vicky
• October 30–31: Aman (61), Abhimanyou and Dinesh
• October 31–November 1: Ankush, Jaideep, Sandeep Mann and Punit Kumar

As a result, India’s Greco-Roman wrestlers go first, and the freestyle group finishes on the last day. That said, a short tournament can turn on one bout. After all, a single bad draw can end a run before the semifinals.

Names to Watch Beyond India at the World Wrestling Championships 2026

Still, defending champions give the event its star power. Because they won in Zagreb, Helen Maroulis, Kyle Snyder and Trent Hidlay all arrive as defending champions. Meanwhile, Riza Kayaalp is entered at Greco-Roman 130 kg. He won his 13th European title in April, so he’s now past Aleksandr Karelin’s record of 12.

At 65 kg freestyle, though, Rahman Amouzad of Iran heads FloWrestling’s rankings, with India’s Sujeet second. That said, nobody expects a quiet week. After all, 30 weight classes means 30 different title races, and each one has its own storyline.

Key Takeaways

• Dates and venue: The World Wrestling Championships 2026 run from October 24 to November 1 at the Barys Arena in Astana.
• Host change: UWW moved the event from Manama on May 22.
• Weight classes: 10 per style, 30 in total.
• Indian entries: 29 of 30 weights, with men’s freestyle 86 kg open.
• First medals: Greco-Roman medal matches begin on October 25.

Frequently Asked Questions

When do the World Wrestling Championships 2026 start?

They open on October 24, while the final medal matches take place on November 1 in Astana.

Where are the World Wrestling Championships 2026 being held?

The matches take place at the Barys Arena in Astana, Kazakhstan, because UWW moved them from Bahrain.

How many weight classes are there?

There are 10 in each of the three styles, so 30 in all.

Which Indian wrestlers are entered at the World Wrestling Championships 2026?

India has names in 29 weight classes, so Sujeet at 65 kg and Kajal at 76 kg are among them.

Where can fans follow brackets and results?

UWW Arena hosts brackets and live results while each weight class unfolds.

Conclusion

While the World Wrestling Championships 2026 start with a Greco-Roman rush, they end with freestyle finals on November 1. Dates, weights and entries are set, even though names can still change before each draw. Since India has 29 entries, fans have plenty to follow from October 24 onward.