Indian wrestler Sujeet Kalkal secures historic gold following stunning comeback.
Indian grappler Sujeet Kalkal secured a historic gold medal in the men's freestyle 65kg category at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya. He defeated Tajikistan's Abdulmazhid Kudiev on Friday following one of the most stunning comebacks in recent wrestling history. Trailing 2-9 with just one minute and 40 seconds remaining, Sujeet executed consecutive takedowns to turn the match around, sealing the victory with exactly 11 seconds left on the clock.
Kudiev started strong, taking an early 4-0 lead by pushing Sujeet out of bounds and securing a leg hold. Though the Indian athlete fought back with a two-point move, he quickly lost his balance. Kudiev capitalized on this error, flipping Sujeet for four points and establishing a dominant 9-2 advantage in the first period. Facing a heavy deficit, Sujeet initiated a relentless attack. With 80 seconds remaining, he scored a major takedown, quickly followed by another to close the gap to 6-9. He continued this aggressive sequence, landing crucial two-pointers to win the bout in the final moments.
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Before reaching the final, Sujeet achieved a notable upset by defeating reigning Olympic champion Kiyooka of Japan in the semifinal. Down 2-0 initially, he fought back to level the score at 3-3. He won that intense clash based on criteria after scoring the final point. Earlier in the tournament, he dominated Afghanistan's Sayed Omar Zazai in the round of 16 and eliminated Iran's Abbas Ebrahimzadehsavadkouhi during the quarterfinals. Indian wrestling has faced structural and administrative hurdles over the past year, making international podium finishes critical for restoring the sport's momentum and supporting domestic athletes.
This victory marks India's first wrestling gold at the Asian Games since Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat topped the podium at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang edition. Sujeet's medal brings India's overall tally at the Aichi-Nagoya Games to 75. The nation now holds 15 gold, 25 silver, and 35 bronze medals, reflecting a strong overall performance across multiple sporting disciplines.
With Inputs from Agency Threads and Image Courtesy: ANI
