New Delhi, March 2: The escalating tensions between Iran and Israel have disrupted global air travel, leaving the Indian women’s wrestling team stranded in Tirana, Albania. But thanks to swift action from the Indian government and the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), the athletes are secure in a hotel near the airport.
Iran’s retaliatory strikes on Israeli and US military bases prompted several West Asian nations, including UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan, to close their airspace. This chaos canceled the team’s flight home after the Muhammad Malla 2026 Wrestling Tournament.
The 16-member women’s team, along with support staff, had traveled for the event that concluded on Sunday. While the men’s freestyle team returned home earlier, the women now await normalization of routes.
Coach Manjeet, speaking from Tirana, expressed gratitude. ‘We’re safe here with no issues. The WFI and government responded quickly,’ she said.
Head coach Virender Singh added, ‘After our flight cancellation, we got assurances from the sports ministry and WFI. They’ve guaranteed our safety until conditions improve.’
India sent a 48-member squad to the tournament, featuring freestyle, women’s, and Greco-Roman categories with 16 wrestlers each. Standout performer Sujit Kalkal, the under-23 world champion, clinched India’s lone gold in the men’s 65kg freestyle division. The team wrapped up with one gold, three silvers, and three bronzes, marking a solid performance despite the geopolitical hurdles now complicating their return.