Maharashtra Kesari is one of the most prestigious wrestling tournaments in India, especially in the state of Maharashtra. Every year, top wrestlers compete for the honour of lifting the famous gada (mace) and earning the title of Maharashtra Kesari.
Latest Maharashtra Kesari Winner (2026)
Harshwardhan Sadgir from Nashik clinched the prestigious 68th Maharashtra Kesari title in 2026 by defeating Mahendra Gaikwad of Solapur in the final. The championship match was held in Wagholi, Pune, and concluded on March 22, 2026.
Maharashtra Kesari Winner List (Year-wise Overview)
Here is the complete list of Maharashtra Kesari winners:
- Early Era (1961–1979)
- 1961 – Dinkar Dahyari
- 1962 – Bhagwan More
- 1964 & 1965 – Ganpat Khedkar (Back-to-back winner)
- 1967 & 1968 – Chamba Mutnal
- 1970 & 1971 – Dadu Chougule
- 1978 – Appasaheb Kadam
- Some years like 1963 and 1977 had cancelled or no results.
- Developing Years (1980–1999)
- 1980 – Ismail Shaikh
- 1985 – Vishnu Joshilkar
- 1987 – Tanaji Bankar
- 1992 – Appalal Sheikh
- 1993 – Udayraj Jadhav
- 1999 – Dhanaji Phadtare
- Modern Phase (2000–2010)
- 2000 – Vinod Chougule
- 2001 – Rahul Kalbhor
- 2004 – Chandrahans Nimgire
- 2006 – Amol Buchade
- 2007 & 2008 – Chandrhar Patil
- 2009 – Vicky Bankar
- Dominant Champions (2011–2019)
- 2011, 2012, 2013 – Narsingh Yadav (Triple Winner)
- 2014, 2015, 2016 – Vijay Chaudhary (Triple Winner)
- 2017 – Abhijeet Katke
- 2018 – Bala Rafiq Sheikh
- 2019 – Harshvardhan Sadgir
- These years were dominated by strong wrestlers who created history.
- Recent Years (2020–2026)
- 2020 – Cancelled
- 2021 – Cancelled
- 2022 – Shivraj Rakshe / Prithviraj Patil
- 2023 – Sikandar Sheikh / Shivraj Rakshe
- 2024 – Cancelled
- 2025 – Prithviraj Mohol
- 2026 - Harshwardhan Sadgir (Latest Champion)