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Khelo India — Ministry of Youth Affairs & SportsTarget Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) — MYAS via Mission Olympic CellSAI Sports Training Centre (STC) — Sports Authority of IndiaNational Sports Development Fund — MYASNational Coaching Development Scheme — SAIShiv Chhatrapati State Sports Award — Govt. of MaharashtraHaryana Medal Reward Policy — Govt. of HaryanaKhelo India — Ministry of Youth Affairs & SportsTarget Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) — MYAS via Mission Olympic CellSAI Sports Training Centre (STC) — Sports Authority of IndiaNational Sports Development Fund — MYASNational Coaching Development Scheme — SAIShiv Chhatrapati State Sports Award — Govt. of MaharashtraHaryana Medal Reward Policy — Govt. of Haryana
Combat

Grappling

Grappling is a combat sport listed on SportSupport.

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Reviewed profileAchievements, tournaments, coaches and FAQs on this page are compiled by hand from federation, government and press reporting, drawing on Grappling Federation of India (grapplingindia.com), United World Wrestling — National Federation listing (uww.org). These are not cited to individual documents: we hold no per-claim source for them, so treat dates, counts and career records here as a summary rather than a reference. Sections we hold nothing for are left empty. Sport pages last reviewed as a set: September 2026.

Overview

Origin
International
Category
Combat
Olympic discipline
No
Paralympic discipline
No
Central pathway
Federation and state pathway
Athlete profiles on SportSupport
0

Governance and status

Each field below is shown only where we hold a source for it; anything else reads “Not currently verified” rather than a guess. Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports recognition is granted year by year, so it is only ever shown with the year it applies to. Last reviewed: September 2026.

Indian governing/organising body
Grappling Association of India
Ministry recognition
Not currently verified
International federation
Not currently verified
Khelo India inclusion
Not currently verified
TOPS eligibility
Not currently verified
Olympic status
Not on the Olympic programme
Paralympic status
Not a Paralympic discipline

Grappling is listed on SportSupport in the combat category. Its recorded origin is International. It is not on the Olympic programme. We list Grappling Association of India as the Indian governing/organising body for the sport.

Grappling has a federation and state-level pathway in India, and athletes selected through Grappling Association of India may be eligible for state sports-quota employment and state cash awards where their state notifies the discipline. TOPS does not apply, as the discipline is outside the Olympic programme.

Scholarships & Funding

Central, state and private scholarships available for grappling athletes in India.

  • Khelo India Talent Identification & Development (KITID)

    Stipend, boarding, coaching and kit at accredited centres for talent identified through the Khelo India selection process (Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports). Applies only to disciplines on the official Khelo India Games list, and only to athletes it selects.

  • National Sports Development Fund (NSDF)

    Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports fund used to sponsor elite athletes' training, foreign coaches and equipment. Allocations are made case by case; we hold no record of NSDF support specific to grappling.

  • Pension for Meritorious Sportspersons

    Lifetime monthly pension for retired internationals who meet the scheme's medal criteria at Asian, Commonwealth or World Championship level — Government of India. Whether a given grappling event counts depends on the scheme's notified list.

  • State sports quota and government employment

    Many states reserve government and public-sector posts for national-level medallists. Which grappling events and which certifying bodies a state accepts varies by state, so check your state's current notification.

Explore all government schemes →

Indian Players

No profiles yet

No athlete profiles are recorded for grappling yet. We only list athletes we can source, so this section stays empty until verifiable profiles exist.

Browse the full athlete directory →

Rules

Grappling is United World Wrestling's submission-wrestling discipline, contested in two styles: Gi (in a jacket, with grips on the fabric permitted) and No-Gi (in rashguard and shorts). Bouts are decided by submission — a tap or verbal signal to a choke, joint lock or armlock — or on points awarded for takedowns, sweeps, passing the guard, mount and back control. Matches run four to six minutes depending on age category, with weight classes for men and women from School through Veteran level. Striking is prohibited, and illegal techniques (neck cranks and certain leg locks in younger categories) are penalised or cause disqualification.

Authoritative rulebook: Grappling Association of India. Age-group and school-level variations are published by SGFI and the state associations each season.

Positions

Typical roles across combat sports. These are category-level descriptions, not a sourced grappling squad list.

  • Fighter / competitor
    Contests bouts inside the ring, mat or cage in a set weight category.
  • Corner / second
    Coach in the corner during the bout — allowed to instruct between rounds.
  • Referee & judges
    Officiate the bout, score rounds and enforce safety rules.
  • Cutman / medical
    Manages cuts, swelling and immediate medical needs between rounds.

Equipment

Standard kit and infrastructure required to train and compete in grappling at a federation-recognised event.

  • Gi (jacket, trousers and belt) for the Gi style, in approved colours
  • Rashguard and fight shorts for No-Gi, in red or blue to match the corner
  • Groin guard and gum shield
  • Optional knee pads and ear guards
  • Matted competition area with an outer safety zone

Governing/organising body

Body listed on SportSupport

Grappling Federation of India is the body we list as the Indian governing/organising body for Grappling. We hold no confirmed Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports recognition record for it, so nothing here states that it is currently recognised.

Origin
International
Olympic
No
Paralympic
No
Category
Combat

Major Indian Events

Domestic competitions we hold a source for in grappling.

  • GFI National Grappling Championship

    Organized by the Grappling Federation of India (GFI, headquartered in Karnal, Haryana) across School, Cadet, Junior, Senior and Veteran categories, running annually since 2005 (12th edition held in 2019). GFI also organizes the All India Inter-University Grappling Tournament and an Indian Open.

  • Governance note

    GFI is the sole national federation for grappling recognized by United World Wrestling (UWW) — itself recognized by the IOC — and is also recognized by the School Games Federation of India (SGFI) and the Association of Indian Universities (AIU).

International Events

Continental and world-level competitions we hold a source for in grappling.

  • South Asian Grappling Championship

    India has competed at multiple editions (4th edition held in 2019).

  • Asian Grappling Championship

    India has competed at recent editions, including 2023.

Leagues

No dedicated professional league is currently catalogued for grappling. The national championship under Grappling Association of India remains the top domestic competition.

All leagues →

International Players

Globally recognised grappling athletes to know outside India.

The international federation for grappling maintains the current world ranking — check the federation site for the up-to-date top names.

Career Options

Ways to build a career in grappling — on the field, on the sidelines and behind the scenes.

  • Playing pathway through GFI's School, Cadet, Junior, Senior and Veteran national championships, plus university-level competition through AIU
  • GFI actively promotes women's participation and inclusivity across social and economic backgrounds
  • Coaching and officiating pathways through GFI, which operates under UWW's international standards via UWW Asia and the Asian/South Asian Grappling Committees

Related academies

0 listed

No grappling academies are catalogued in the directory yet. Browse the full academy list or list your academy to appear here.

FAQs

Common questions about grappling in India.

Who governs Grappling in India?▾

We list Grappling Association of India as the Indian governing/organising body for Grappling, and state associations affiliated to it run age-group and state-level competition. We hold no current-year Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports recognition record for it, so this is not a statement that it is currently a recognised national sports federation — recognition is granted year by year.

Is Grappling an Olympic sport?▾

No, Grappling is not on the Olympic programme.

How do I start playing Grappling in India?▾

The usual routes are a school team under the School Games Federation of India (SGFI), a college team under the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), or a private academy affiliated to your state association under Grappling Association of India. Age-group state championships follow from there.

What government schemes support Grappling athletes?▾

TOPS does not apply, as Grappling is outside the Olympic programme. State-government cash awards or sports-quota employment can apply where a state notifies the discipline, which varies by state. Grappling does not appear on the official Khelo India Games discipline list, so we make no Khelo India claim for it.

Grappling in every state & UT

Dedicated pages for Grappling in each Indian state and Union Territory — academies, schemes, athletes and how to start.