Asian Games
India’s Kurash Squad at Asian Games 2023: Full Team, Schedule, Medal Chances
Can the India Kurash team upgrade their silver and bronze medals to a gold this time?
India's presence in the Kurash event at this edition of the Asian Games will be represented by a small squad of just two wrestlers, which is twelve less than in the previous edition. Among them, Pincky Balhara, the silver medalist from the last Asian Games, will be striving to upgrade her medal this year.
The limited two-member squad poses a challenge to India's total medal count at the games. Notably, Malaprabha Jadhav, who won bronze in the 52kg category in the previous games, is not part of the squad this time, along with eleven other strong Kurash wrestlers who competed in the last edition.
India Kurash squad
Yash Chauhan - Men's 90 kg
Pincky Balhara- Women's 52 kg
India’s Kurash schedule at the Asian Games
Men's 90 kg and Women’s 52kg-
30/9/2023 Saturday, 7:00 AM- 9:30 AM- Preliminary, Elimination
Men’s 90kg, Women's 52 kg-
30/9/2023 Saturday, 12:30 PM- 3:00 PM
2/10/2023 Monday,
14:00-17:30- Semi-final, Final and Victory Ceremony
09:30-12:00- Preliminary, Elimination
14:00-17:30- Semi-final, Final and Victory Ceremony
India at Kurash at Asian Games 2023: Medal chances
Pincky Balhara | Women's 52 kg
Pincky Balhara, a versatile Indian athlete in Kurash and Judo, won a silver medal at the last Asian Games in the 52kg category. She secured her spot in the finals with a 3-0 victory over a Uzbekistani wrestler but faced a tough opponent in the finals, losing 0-10. Balhara previously won India's first bronze in the 52kg event at the Asian Beach Games in 2016. She's a top Kurash talent for India but faces strong competition from Uzbekistan's wrestlers in the Asian Games.
Yash Chauhan | Men's 90 kg
Chauhan's previous performances are relatively undocumented on the internet, but there are high expectations for him to deliver a standout performance in the 90kg category, potentially marking a career-best achievement.
Kurash at the Asian Games
Kurash was introduced as a sport in the 18th edition of the Asian Games, starting with the 2018 Games held in Indonesia. This event featured the participation of 24 nations and 173 Kurash wrestlers. The competition comprised a total of nine weight categories, including four for men (66 kg, 81 kg, 90 kg, and +90 kg) and five for women (52 kg, 63 kg, 70 kg, 78 kg, and 87 kg).
Uzbekistan emerged as the leading nation in terms of medals, securing 5 gold, 2 silver, and 4 bronze medals.
In recent news, it has been reported that China made its debut in the Central Asian martial art of Kurash at the 2023 Asian Championships, which were hosted in their home country.
India at Kurash at the Asian Games 2018
India participated in the 2018 Asian Games with a delegation of 14 Kurash wrestlers, consisting of 8 male athletes and 6 female athletes. The male competitors were distributed across the 66kg, 81kg, +90kg, and -90kg weight categories, while the female wrestlers competed in the 52kg, 63kg, and 78kg weight classes. Remarkably, India's efforts in the 52kg category yielded a silver medal, earned by Pincky Balhara, and a bronze medal, claimed by Malaprabha Jadhav.
Silver medal: Picky Balhara
Bronze medal: Malaprabha Jadhav
