Deepak Punia ends a six-decade wait for Indian wrestling
Indian wrestler Deepak Punia ended a 60-year drought by securing bronze in the men's 97-kg freestyle event at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya. He defeated Mongolia's Gankhuyag Ganbaatar 2-1 on Saturday. This victory gave India its first medal in this heavy weight class since Bhim Singh reached the podium during the 1966 edition of the games. Wrestling has historically been a strong discipline for Indian athletes on global platforms, but consistent success in the heavier weight categories has remained elusive until this weekend.
Following Punia's historic achievement, Aman Sehrawat added to the country's tally by winning gold in the 57-kg freestyle division. Sehrawat overcame North Korea's Chong Song Han in a thrilling 10-7 contest. He started the match cautiously by defending multiple leg attacks and keeping the bout scoreless early on. After conceding a point due to a passivity warning, Sehrawat quickly countered with two superb takedowns to build a 4-1 lead by the break.
Han fought back strongly in the second period, securing a takedown and a roll to take a 7-6 lead despite struggling with a visible knee injury. Sehrawat showed immense resilience to regain control. He executed a crucial four-point move with a takedown and roll to reclaim the lead, ultimately securing the gold medal. This victory marked India's second wrestling gold of the tournament, joining Sujeet Kalkal's earlier triumph.
Also read: Indian wrestler Aman Sehrawat clinches Gold at 2026 Asian Games 57kg final
Not all results favoured the Indian camp on Saturday. Sagar Jaglan suffered a quick defeat in the 74-kg bronze medal bout, pinned by Kazakhstan's three-time world medallist Nurkozha Kaipanov within thirty seconds. Regardless of that loss, these wrestling achievements boosted India's overall medal count at the ongoing games to 83, comprising 20 golds, 26 silvers, and 37 bronzes. This broader success includes top finishes by the men's cricket team, gold medallists Kumkum Mohod and Pranavi Urs, silver for the women's golf team, and an individual recurve archery bronze for Neeraj Chauhan.
With Inputs from Agency Inputs and Image courtesy: ANI
