Hunger like Sachin, world medal at 18: Meet wrestling prodigy Kajal Dhochak

When Virender Dahiya talks about Kajal Dhochak, the head coach of the Indian women’s wrestling team reaches for a comparison from another sport. It is not a comparison of achievements or careers, but of hunger.

“Sachin Tendulkar made his international debut in India at the age of 16. Why? Because of his hunger. Kajal has the same kind of hunger to keep improving,” Dahiya tells IndiaToday.in from Astana, Kazakhstan.

At 18, Kajal had already won back-to-back Under-20 world titles and did history at the 2026 World Cup match on Wednesdaywith a silver in the women’s 76 kg category, she became India’s first heavyweight medalist at the tournament. It was a landmark achievement for Indian wrestling and it came in her very first appearance at the senior worlds.
The gold she wanted eluded her, but her performance heralded her arrival in the senior ranks.

At the same time, her ambition extends far beyond the medal she won. Kajal’s WhatsApp profile picture is the logo of the Los Angeles Olympics 2028. The Games are two years away, but the picture is a reminder of the goal she carries to practice every day.

“Right now the goal is the Olympics,” says Ajay Malik, who trains Kajal at the Kuldeep Malik Academy in Sonipat.
“That’s what he focuses on during practice as well. He’s constantly reminding himself that he has to train harder to achieve that goal.”

QUICK ENTRY BY ROWS

Kajal fought till the last second in the final (UWW Photo)

The Olympic logo is not just wishful thinking on Kajal’s part. For someone who has already collected three world titles across the junior ranks before turning 19, it’s another item on the list he seems in a hurry to tick off.

Kajala’s rise has been fast enough to spark expectations of gold even before she has settled into senior wrestling. Dahiya admits the Indian camp was hoping to win the title at her first senior World Cup given what she had already achieved in the junior ranks.

“Given what she’s already achieved at the under-20 world championships and now at the senior level, we were hoping she’d win gold. So it was a little disappointing, but things like that happen in wrestling. We’ve got a lot of time to work with her and help her improve and that’s what we’re going to do,” he says.

For Ajay, however, the silver medal is another step in a journey that began when Kajal was a child. She trained under her uncle Krishan Dhochak, a former international wrestler, before joining the Kuldeep Malik Academy at the age of 14. By then, she had already spent several years learning the sport in her village in Sonipat district, Haryana.

Her introduction to wrestling came through her older brother who trained under Krishan. Kajal wanted to accompany them to practice and her insistence finally convinced her uncle to let her take up the sport seriously. What started as a childhood desire to follow her brother has turned into a pursuit that has taken her to the top of the junior wrestling circuit and now within reach of a senior world title.

Her progression through the age groups was remarkable. Kajal won the world under-17 title in 2024, followed by back-to-back world under-20 titles in 2025 and 2026. She moved up to the 76 kg category at the U15 level, making the heavier division her home as she progressed through the age groups.

At the senior world championships, she showed that her junior success was not just a product of competing with younger opponents. In the semifinals, Kajal fought back from a 1–7 deficit against Kyrgyzstan’s Aiperi Medet Kyzya to win 10–7 to book her place in the final. In the end, she lost 8:6 to the Ukrainian Anastasiya Alpyeyeva and finished silver.

The comeback was a reflection of the qualities that helped her rise so quickly. Kajal does not look like a wrestler who is easily put off by the opponent’s stature or match situation.

“Her confidence is her greatest strength. Whether she’s facing a world champion or a beginner, she fights anyone without fear. She’s absolutely fearless,” says Ajay.

Kajal’s style is built on offense. He presses forward, tries to take the initiative and maintains his aggressiveness for six minutes of the match. Her mat artistry and mat intelligence are strengths that Astana has noticed, traits that allow her to make quick decisions once the contest moves into a scramble.

Dahiya also identifies aggression as her defining characteristic, although she is careful to point out that it can become a weakness if she doesn’t learn to manage it.

“Kajal’s biggest strength is her aggression. She is the most aggressive wrestler I have ever seen. But sometimes she can be too aggressive and that can become a weakness. We need to work on that aspect of her game.”

The difference matters when Kajal moves into the senior competition, where opponents are more experienced in exploiting openings. Her steady defense is another area that Ajay believes she needs to work on. The attacking instincts that carried her through the junior ranks will remain central to her game, but learning when to attack and when to defend could prove crucial in her pursuit of a world title.

For a wrestler who has accomplished so much under the age of 18, he still has a significant learning curve ahead of him. Dahiya believes her record already sets her apart.

“What Kajal has achieved at the age of 18 is something that very few wrestlers can do even after 15 to 20 years of training. It says a lot about the kind of wrestler she is and the potential she has for the future. We have very high hopes for her,” he says. Kajal Dhochak has the LA 2028 Olympics logo on her WhatsApp profile (UWW photo).

Off the mat, Kajala’s life is shaped by the routine of an athlete whose ambitions require a significant commitment from those around her. Her father works as a driver in Sonipat while her mother is a housewife. Her mother remains closely involved in her career and continues to travel with her and accompany her through the demands of training and competition. She even tried wrestling!

‘HE BEHAVES LIKE A NORMAL KID’

At the academy, Ajay describes Kajal as disciplined and receptive to learning.

“She has never shown any attitude about being a world champion. She acts like a normal kid. We scold her when she makes mistakes and she accepts it. She asks questions without any hesitation and always takes feedback positively. She is very disciplined,” he says.

It also has a lighter side. Ajay says he enjoys himself outside of wrestling and is not someone who spends every waking moment in a serious sporting mood.

She recently entered the first year of her bachelor’s course and added college to the responsibilities that come with training at the highest level.

Her diet and daily routine are carefully managed, with her mother playing an important role. Ajay says that Kajal mostly eats home-cooked meals, attends practices on time and follows the academy’s rigorous training schedule. Sundays are reserved for rest, but the rest of the week is structured around sessions that vary in intensity and focus.

The routine itself is bland. Kajal distinguishes the level at which she has already started performing and the ambition with which she approaches the next phase of her career.

Her first senior World Championships ended without the gold medal she wanted. Still, the silverware gave her an early indication of where she stands against the world’s best, while also revealing areas she needs to address. The immediate task for her coaches is to improve her defense without taking away the aggressiveness that makes her such a difficult opponent.

Ajay says that Kajal made her intentions clear even before going to the championship.

“She immediately told me, ‘Sir, I have to bring the belt. I have to bring the belt home.’ That’s her determination. For me, she is already the world champion.”

The belt did not arrive home this time. But Kajal has already created a record that gives her a reason to aim higher.

The Olympic logo on her WhatsApp profile offers a clue to what’s to come. For now, the destination is Los Angeles. The hunger Dahiya sees in her will have to carry her through the work that lies between the silver medal and the gold she wants.

– The end