Noida, Jan 26 (IANS) Delhi Dangal Warriors held a narrow 3–2 advantage over Punjab Royals at the halfway mark of Match 15, the final league fixture of the Pro Wrestling League (PWL) 2026, being played on Day 13 at the Noida Indoor Stadium in Noida on Thursday.
With Punjab Royals already assured of a semifinal berth on six points, pressure was firmly on Delhi, who require a win to qualify outright without relying on bout difference or other technical criteria.
Punjab Royals struck first in the 76kg women’s contest through Priya Malik, who delivered a disciplined and tactically sound performance against Anastasiya Alpyeeva. Capitalising on passivity in the opening period and adding a crucial push-out in Period 2, Priya secured a slim 2–0 victory to give Punjab the early lead.
Delhi responded emphatically in the 86kg men’s contest as Vafaeipour Hadi Bakhtiar produced one of the most dominant performances of the match. In a high-intensity tie, Iranian grappler Bakhtiar imposed complete control on Sandeep Maan during the power minute, unleashing a barrage of takedowns, turns, and push-outs to race to a commanding 20–7 win and level the tie.
Momentum swung further Delhi’s way in the 65kg men’s category, where captain Sujeet Kalkal underlined his importance with a composed and authoritative display against Anuj Kumar. The U23 World Champion neutralised early resistance before steadily building his lead through sharp takedowns and turns to seal a comprehensive 10–1 victory and put Delhi in front.
Delhi extended their advantage in the 57kg men’s category as Shubham Kaushik delivered a clinical shutout against Chirag Chhikara. Exploiting passivity and executing a high-value four-point throw in the opening period, Kaushik maintained control throughout to register a dominant 9–0 win.
Punjab Royals stayed in the contest through Rajnita Jangra in the 57kg women’s bout. After conceding an early passivity point, Rajnita responded with immediate aggression, scoring a clean takedown in Period 1 before dictating the second period with superior mat control and another decisive takedown to claim a 5–1 victory.
The 62kg women’s bout between Ana Godinez (Punjab Royals) and Anjli (Delhi Dangal Warriors) is currently underway.
On Friday, Table-toppers Haryana Thunders will face either Delhi Dangal Warriors or UP Dominators in the first semifinal on Day 14 of PWL 2026.
Result:
Team Score after five bouts: Punjab Royals 2 – 3 Delhi Dangal Warriors
–IANS
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