Kajal Dhochak and Neela Sirohi win national trials to book Commonwealth Championships berths
Kajal Dhochak and Neela Sirohi secured places on India’s team for the Commonwealth Wrestling Championships in Polokwane, South Africa, from December 4-6 with dominant victories at the national selection trials, a report published on November 13, 2026 said. U23 World silver medallist Amruta Pujari also qualified after late-match interventions while other weight-category winners completed the squad from the trials.
Kajal entered the trials as a recent World Championship silver medallist from Astana and needed only 35 seconds to clinch the women's 76kg berth. Neela is also a World silver medallist, and Amruta arrives at the trials with an U23 World silver medal to her name. The Commonwealth Championships permit two entries per country in each category; the government will fund only the trials winners while a second wrestler may travel at their own expense. Several top Indian male wrestlers, including Aman Sehrawat, Sujeet Kalkal, new world champion Manisha Bhanwala, Nitesh Siwach, Deepak Punia and Sunit, were granted exemptions and allowed to take India’s second entry at their own cost.
In the women’s 76kg final, Kajal outclassed Vedita by technical superiority in 35 seconds, opening with a double-leg attack, lifting Vedita for a throw, adding a four-pointer and finishing with a take-down. The result secured her slot for the Polokwane meeting.
Neela Sirohi sealed the 50kg spot by pinning Neha Chugate after a double-leg attack; she maintained a tight grip before driving her opponent back onto the mat to complete the fall. The win was described in the report as an easy one for the World silver medallist.
U23 World silver medallist Amruta Pujari’s matches in the 72kg category were decided by late moves: Sher began with a victory by fall over Nisha, trailed 1-2 against Priyanka in the semifinal before executing a take-down on the edge of the circle with three seconds left, and in the final versus Bipasha she overturned a 1-3 deficit by rolling her opponent from an arm-lock position and pinning her.
Srishti earned the 68kg place with a dominant performance over Mansi Lather, scoring an early four-pointer and conceding only a single passivity point. In the women's 53kg final, Nishu defeated Sneha 7-1; the report noted Nishu had given Vinesh Phogat a scare in her comeback bout.
Other trials winners listed in the report were Ahilya Sinde (55kg), Neha Sangwan (59kg), Pushpa (62kg) and Janvi (65kg). World Championship medallist Antim Panghal’s late request to compete was turned down by the Wrestling Federation of India because she did not attend the weigh-in.
During the trials, PWL team Haryana Thunder felicitated India’s four women World Championship medallists; Tanu Sharma received Rs 75,000, Neelam and Kajal were each handed Rs 1 lakh cheques, and gold medallist Manisha was awarded Rs 1.5 lakh. The selected athletes will head to the Commonwealth Wrestling Championships in Polokwane, South Africa, scheduled for December 4-6.