Wrestler Sujeet Kalkal secures India's first gold at 2026 Asian Games

Sujeet Kalkal won India's first wrestling gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games after defeating Tajikistan wrestler Abdulmazhid Kudiev in the men's 65kg final on Friday. Sujeet pulled off a remarkable comeback after trailing 2-9 in the second period of the title match. With just one minute and 15 seconds left on the clock, he was behind at 6-9. He scored a takedown to narrow the gap to 8-9 and secured another crucial takedown with 50 seconds remaining to win the bout 10-9.

Background

This victory comes in the same 65kg weight class where Indian wrestlers Yogeshwar Dutt and Bajrang Punia won gold medals at the 2014 and 2018 Asian Games respectively. Bajrang also won a bronze medal in this category at the Tokyo Olympics. The win lifts the team's spirits after India failed to win any gold medals in wrestling at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou. Sujeet previously defeated Kudiev earlier this year at the Asian Championships.

Context

Sujeet Kalkal hails from the village of Imlota in Haryana and began training under his father, Dayanand Kalkal, who is a former national-level wrestler. After moving to Sonipat in 2021, he won gold medals at the U23 and U20 Asian Championships in 2022 and a title at the Tunis UWW Ranking Series. He previously faced a major setback in 2024 when flight disruptions caused by flooding stranded him in Dubai and caused him to miss the Asian Olympic Qualifier.