Face2News/Hisar 

The IIS Dangal Championship 2026, organised by the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS) and powered by Parle G, witnessed a record turnout with over 300 entries and around 240 participants competing across nine categories at the Shaheed Madan Lal Dhingra Multipurpose Hall, Giri Centre, CCS HAU, Hisar.

Encouraged by the strong response to the inaugural edition in 2025, the second edition of the event opened its doors to participants from across the country. It was an encouraging sign to see nearly 20 percent of the entries coming from outside Haryana. Around 250 entries were registered in the men’s categories, while over 50 entries were recorded in the women’s categories.

Several notable names from the IIS stable also featured in the competition, including Kajal (+62 kg), Nishu (53 kg), Suraj (60 kg GR, U17 World gold medallist), Sumit (60 kg GR, U20 World bronze medallist), and Sumit Malik (57 kg FS, U20 World bronze medallist).

The championship was conducted in a single day, with three mats in action simultaneously to ensure maximum engagement for both athletes and spectators. The venue saw a packed house and a lively atmosphere, with continuous action throughout the day.

IIS Women’s Coach Kosei Akaishi and High Performance Director Gary Hall were present at the venue to scout emerging talent. The IIS Dangal Championship, along with other such initiatives, will serve as a key platform to identify, assess, and nurture promising wrestlers by giving them exposure to senior-level competition and a high-performance competitive environment.

Weight Categories and Titles
Senior Freestyle (FS)
• 57 kg – IIS Weight Title
• 74 kg – IIS Veer Title
• +74 kg – IIS Yodha Title

Senior Greco-Roman (GR)
• 60 kg – IIS Weight Title
• 77 kg – IIS Veer Title
• +77 kg – IIS Yodha Title

Senior Women’s Wrestling (WW)
• 53 kg – IIS Weight Title
• 62 kg – IIS Veer Title
• +62 kg – IIS Yodha Title

Speaking on the Championship, Satya Prakash, Head of Operations, SAI-IIS Hisar Centre, said, “The IIS Dangal Championship was an excellent opportunity for the next crop of stars. It was a bit of a challenge for us to organise this event as our elite athletes are currently undergoing a national camp. But we saw this as an opportunity to give the next generation of athletes a chance to compete at the senior level and get a feel of high-quality competition. It was a great platform for future stars to express themselves on the mat and learn.”

Gary Hall, High Performance Director, IIS, added, “It’s great to be here in Hisar. This Dangal is a great opportunity for young wrestlers to get involved, test themselves, and do their very best. For us, it’s really encouraging to see the level of participation. We would encourage any wrestler to get involved in this in the future. It’s a great competition run by the team here in Hisar.”