Indian wrestler Vishvajit More has made history at the U23 World Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas, winning silver in the men's 55kg Greco-Roman category on Thursday, October 15. The 22-year-old from Kolhapur became the first Indian Greco-Roman wrestler to reach a final at this level, and lost the gold medal bout to Georgia's Koba Karumidze by just one point, 13-12.
The road to the final
More's run in Las Vegas was full of tough opponents. He opened with a hard-fought 10-8 win over Mexico's Isaac Marin Mata. In the quarterfinal he produced his best performance, beating Iran's Armin Shamsipour, the reigning U20 world champion, 8-1, with a four-point throw doing much of the damage.
The semifinal against Russia's Malik Gigiev was a swinging contest. Gigiev landed a four-point counter, More answered with a four-pointer of his own, and after a review he led 5-4. He added a stepout in the second period and then held off a late Russian push to win 7-4.
A final that slipped away
The final was a thriller. More fell behind 0-5 and then 5-9 against Karumidze before roaring back to lead 12-9. The Georgian clawed back with a stepout and scored the decisive point in the dying seconds to edge the bout 13-12. It was a painful way to lose gold, but the silver is still a landmark result for Indian Greco-Roman wrestling.
| Round | Result |
|---|---|
| Round 1 | Beat Isaac Marin Mata (Mexico) 10-8 |
| Quarterfinal | Beat Armin Shamsipour (Iran) 8-1 |
| Semifinal | Beat Malik Gigiev (Russia) 7-4 |
| Final | Lost to Koba Karumidze (Georgia) 12-13 |
| Medal | Silver, men's 55kg Greco-Roman |
Who is Vishvajit More?
Born on January 1, 2004, More hails from Sarawade village in Radhanagari taluka of Kolhapur district, Maharashtra, a region with a deep wrestling tradition and famous for its akharas. He has been one of India's most consistent Greco-Roman wrestlers in the age-group circuit, winning bronze at the U23 World Championships in Tirana in 2024 and again in Novi Sad in 2025, along with a silver at the 2024 U23 Asian Championships in Amman. In 2025 he joined the Indian Army through the Army Sports Entry Scheme as a Havildar with the Maratha Light Infantry.
Las Vegas makes it three straight U23 world medals for him, and this time the colour is silver.
Why this medal matters
India's big wrestling successes at the Olympics and World Championships have come almost entirely in freestyle. Greco-Roman, where wrestlers can attack only above the waist and holds below the belt are banned, has long been the weaker style for the country. A world final, and wins over wrestlers from Iran and Russia, two powerhouses of the sport, show that the gap is closing. With the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics on the horizon, More's progress gives the federation a strong young name to build around in the 55kg-60kg range.
Understanding the scoring
In Greco-Roman wrestling, points come from takedowns, exposures, stepouts and throws, with big throws worth four or five points. When bouts are close, the last scoring action often matters most, and in tied bouts the winner is decided on criteria such as the highest-value move and the last point scored. That is why late stepouts and counters, like the ones in More's final, can swing a medal in the final seconds. It also explains why coaches stress staying in the centre of the mat while protecting a lead.
Other Indians in action
The championships are continuing in Las Vegas. Komal will compete for bronze after a semifinal loss to Ukraine's Alina Filipovych, while Diksha Malik (76kg) remained in medal contention. Vaishnavi Patil (65kg) and Amruta Pujari (72kg) were due to wrestle in the quarterfinals. Mansi Lather (68kg) was knocked out after a narrow 9-10 quarterfinal defeat to Italy's Laura Godino, and Chetan (63kg) and Karan Kamboj (87kg) were also eliminated.
What's next
More will now turn his focus to the senior circuit, where the next step is breaking into India's senior team on a regular basis and challenging for medals at the Asian and World Championships. Fans will also be watching for how many more medals the Indian women can add in Las Vegas over the coming days.
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