Sujeet Kalkal Scripts Sensational Comeback to Win Asian Games Wrestling Gold

Indian wrestler rallies from a 9-2 deficit to defeat Tajikistan’s Abdulmazhid Kudiev 10-9 in the men’s freestyle 65kg final, securing India’s first Asian Games wrestling gold since 2018.

Nagoya, Oct 2026 : Indian wrestler Sujeet Kalkal produced a remarkable comeback to clinch the men’s freestyle 65kg gold medal at the Asian Games 2026, defeating Tajikistan’s Abdulmazhid Kudiev 10-9 in a thrilling final at the Nagoya City Inae Sports Center on Friday.

Trailing 9-2 with just one minute and 40 seconds remaining, Sujeet staged an extraordinary recovery, executing a series of takedowns to turn the contest around and secure the gold medal in the dying seconds.

The Indian wrestler reduced the deficit to 9-8 with three successive takedowns as Kudiev struggled to contain the late surge. With the Tajik wrestler attempting to run down the clock, Sujeet launched one final attack, completing a two-point takedown with just 11 seconds remaining to snatch the lead and seal a memorable victory.

The triumph marked India’s first wrestling gold medal at the Asian Games since Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat won their respective titles at the 2018 Jakarta Games. Bajrang had also won gold in the men’s freestyle 65kg category.

Earlier on Friday, Sujeet recorded a significant victory in the semifinals, defeating Japan’s reigning Olympic champion Kotaro Kiyooka to advance to the final.

Kiyooka, who won the men’s 65kg freestyle title at the Paris 2024 Olympics, held a 2-0 advantage after the first period. Sujeet responded strongly in the second period, scoring three points as the bout ended 3-3. The Indian advanced on criteria after scoring the final point.

Sujeet had also demonstrated his fighting spirit in the opening round against Afghanistan’s Sayed Omar Zazai. After falling behind 3-0 early in the contest, the Indian conceded no further points and mounted a commanding comeback to win 13-3 by technical superiority.

He continued his impressive run in the quarterfinals, defeating Iran’s Abbas Ebrahimzadehsavadkouhi 10-0 by technical superiority before overcoming Kiyooka in the semifinals.

The gold medal further underlined Sujeet’s growing stature in international wrestling. He entered the Asian Games as one of India’s leading medal prospects after winning the 2025 U23 World Championships and the 2026 Asian Wrestling Championships in the 65kg category.

Friday’s final was also the second meeting between Sujeet and Kudiev this year. The Indian had defeated the Tajik wrestler 7-2 in the semifinals of the 2026 Asian Wrestling Championships before going on to claim the continental title.

Meanwhile, India’s campaign in other wrestling events produced mixed results.

Dipanshi missed out on a bronze medal in the women’s 50kg category after losing 11-4 to Kazakhstan’s Zeinep Bayanova. She had reached the bronze-medal bout through the repechage route, defeating Cambodia’s Dit Samnang 10-0 by technical superiority.

Priya Malik and Rajat Ruhal were eliminated in the round of 16. Priya lost by fall to Kyrgyzstan’s Aiperi Medet Kyzy in the women’s 76kg category, while Rajat suffered an 8-3 defeat against Kazakhstan’s Yedige Kassimbek in the men’s freestyle 125kg event.

Neither Indian wrestler entered the repechage, as their respective opponents failed to reach the finals.

Sujeet’s dramatic victory nevertheless provided a major highlight for India, combining resilience, tactical execution and late-match composure to deliver a memorable Asian Games gold medal.