Asian Games: Sujeet Kalkal wins wrestling gold after dramatic comeback against Kudiev
- On Friday, Indian wrestler Sujeet Kalkal defeated reigning Olympic champion Kotaro Kiyooka in the men's freestyle 65kg semi-final at the Asian Games, securing his place in the final.
- Dominating earlier rounds, Sujeet secured technical superiority wins against Sayed Omar Zazai of Afghanistan and Abbas Ebrahimzadehsavadkouhi of Iran, conceding zero points in the quarter-final.
- Scores tied at 3-3, the Indian wrestler claimed victory over Kiyooka on criteria, a performance coach Kuldeep Singh Sehrawat termed the "biggest win of his career".
- Tajikistan's Abdulmazhid Kudiev awaits Sujeet in the gold medal final today at 2:46 p.m. at Nagoya City Inae Sports Center, where Sujeet previously defeated him 7-2.
- In other results, Indian wrestler Dipanshi Phogat qualified for the bronze play-off against Kazakhstan's Zeinip Bayanova, while wrestlers Rajat Ruhul and Priya Malik were eliminated.
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39 Articles
Asian Games: Wrestlers Antim Panghal, Manisha Bhanwala advance to quarters; Deepak Punia enters semifinals
Indian wrestlers Antim Panghal and Manisha Bhanwala advanced to the quarterfinals while Deepak Punia progressed to the semifinals at the Asian Games 2026 on Saturday, continuing India's strong run in the wrestling competition.
Who is Sujeet Kalkal? Haryana wrestler wins Asian Games 2026 gold with 10-9 comeback
The final did not start like a gold-medal bout. Abdulmazhid Kudiev, a world medallist, stayed tight in defence, waited for Sujeet Kalkal to reach, and punished the counters. The score ran to 2-9. Kalkal reset after the break and went after the legs.
Sujeet Kalkal's resurgence after losing major bouts and facing constant challenges is a key story in his career. Now, his victory in the Asian Games final after trailing 2-9 has added another significant achievement to his name. This wrestler, hailing from a small village, is now establishing himself as one of the most recognizable faces in Indian wrestling, defeating established wrestlers.
Sujeet Kalkal beats reigning Olympic champion on his way to wrestling gold
Sujeet Kalkal completed a remarkable comeback to win India's first wrestling gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games on Friday, beating Tajikistan's Abdulmazhid Kudiev 10-9 in the men's 65kg freestyle final.
Sujeet Kalkal wins wrestling gold, defeats Abdulmazhid Kudiev in men's 65kg freestyle at Asian Games 2026
Star India wrestler Sujeet Kalkal scripted a historic comeback against Tajikistan's Abdulmazhid Kudiev, and clinched the gold medal in the 65kg men's freestyle wrestling, bringing home India's 15th gold at the Asian Games 2026.
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