Saarika stars as Delhi Dangal Warriors beat Maharashtra Kesari 6-3 in PWL

Noida, Jan 16 (PTI) Delhi Dangal Warriors walked away with a comfortable 6-3 win over Maharashtra Kesari in their first match of the Pro Wrestling League 2026 here on Friday.

Saarika, 17, starred in the biggest upset of the day with a 7-0 win over 2024 Paris Olympics silver medallist Guzman Lopez Yusneylis.

Maharashtra Kesari struck first through Manisha Bhanvala in the 57kg women's bout with a disciplined 6–0 win to give her side the early lead.

Delhi responded immediately with Shubham Kaushik's impressive win against Atish Thodkar in the men's 57kg category.

Shubham staged a dramatic comeback in the bout sealing a 12–10 victory with a decisive four-point takedowns in the Power Minute.

Momentum firmly shifted Delhi's way in the 53kg women's contest, where 17-year-old Saarika stunned Paris Games silver medallist Guzman Lopez Yusneylis with a controlled 7–0 win.

Maharashtra levelled the tie at 2-2 through experienced campaigner Dudova Bilyana Zhivkova, who dominated the second period to defeat Anjli 10–2.

The heavyweight 125kg bout proved pivotal for Maharashtra, as former European champion Robert Baran outclassed Ronak 5–0 to put his team back in front.

However, Delhi showcased depth and resilience from that point onward. Turan Bayramov out-wrestled Yash 14–10 in a high-octane 74kg clash, before Anastasiya Alpyeeva swung the tie decisively to Delhi's favour with a swift fall over Harshita Mor in the 76kg women's bout.

Delhi sealed the contest in the 86kg men's category, where Vafaeipour Hadi Bakhtiar held his nerve to beat Amit 5–3.

Captain Sujeet Kalkal then capped off a dominant evening for Delhi Dangal Warriors with a composed 6–2 win in the final bout, ensuring a comprehensive 6–3 victory. PTI SSC AM SSC AM AM