Indian wrestler Vishvajit Ramchandra More delivered a landmark performance at the U23 World Wrestling Championships, becoming the first Indian to win a silver medal in Greco-Roman wrestling at the tournament. The 55kg wrestler narrowly missed out on gold, going down 12–13 to Georgia’s Koba Karumidze in a closely contested final on Thursday.
The title bout went down to the wire, with More coming close to securing the championship before Karumidze gained the decisive advantage in the closing moments. Despite the narrow loss, More’s run to the final marked a significant milestone for Indian Greco-Roman wrestling, as no Indian had previously reached the title bout in this category at the U23 Worlds.
More began his campaign with a hard-fought 10–8 victory over Mexico’s Isaac Marin Mata. He then produced a commanding performance in the quarter-finals, defeating Iran’s Armin Shamsipour, the reigning U20 world champion, by an 8–1 margin. A four-point throw proved crucial in that contest, during which Shamsipour appeared to sustain a shoulder injury.
He continued his strong run in the semi-finals, overcoming Russia’s Malik Gigiev 7–4 to secure his place in the championship final. Karumidze also had to navigate a challenging semi-final, defeating Kyrgyzstan’s Barsbek Asankozhoev to advance to the gold-medal bout. Although the final did not end in victory, More’s silver medal adds to the bronze medals he won at previous editions of the competition, underlining his consistency on the international stage.
More’s historic silver-medal finish represents a proud moment for Indian wrestling and highlights the country’s growing presence in Greco-Roman competition. While gold narrowly eluded him, his determined performances throughout the tournament have strengthened India’s prospects on the international stage and set an encouraging benchmark for emerging wrestlers.