IIS Dangal Championship goes national in 2026, aims to boost domestic wrestling

The IIS Dangal Championship will be held at the Shaheed Madan Lal Dhingra Multipurpose Hall, Giri Centre, CCS HAU, Hisar, Haryana, on February 23.

Building on the success of its inaugural edition, the IIS Dangal Championship 2026 will, for the first time, open its doors to national-level participation, welcoming senior wrestlers from across India to compete in Freestyle (FS), Women’s Wrestling (WW), and Greco-Roman (GR) categories.

Last year’s Haryana-only edition witnessed over 240 wrestlers in action. With national participation now enabled, the 2026 championship is expected to be significantly larger, marking a major step forward for competitive wrestling in the region and beyond.

The Dangal Championship will feature three premier IIS titles across weight categories, designed to recognize and reward excellence, dominance, and resilience on the mat.

With the tournament now expanding beyond Haryana for the first time, IIS Dangal Championship 2026 represents a significant leap in India’s domestic wrestling ecosystem. Building on the success of last year’s state-level edition, the move to national participation is expected to bring in a deeper field, higher standards of competition and far greater visibility, creating a stronger and more connected wrestling pathway for athletes across India.

Antim Panghal in action at the IIS Dangal Championship in 2025

Speaking on the growth of the championship, Manisha Malhotra, President of the Inspire Institute of Sport, said that IIS Dangal Championship was always meant to be more than just another tournament. “The idea behind the IIS Dangal Championship was to give wrestlers a stage where effort, courage and consistency truly matter,” she said.

“The response to the first edition was incredibly encouraging, and it told us that this platform was needed. Taking it to the national level now allows wrestlers from across the country to challenge themselves, gain exposure and grow through competition. Hosting it in Hisar makes it even more meaningful, because this region has such deep roots in Indian wrestling and continues to produce incredible talent.”

Siyanand, Head Coach at IIS Hisar, believes the event will have a lasting impact on the local and national wrestling ecosystem. “Hisar has always been a wrestling town but bringing a national-level championship of this scale here is something special,” he said. “For young wrestlers in the region, it means they can see and compete against the best without having to travel far. And for athletes from other states, it gives them the chance to experience the intensity and culture of wrestling in Haryana. IIS Dangal 2026 will be a place where real competition and real growth come together.”

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