Sujeet Kalkal clinches 65kg wrestling gold for India with dramatic comeback at Asian Games

What Happened

Sujeet Kalkal clinched the 65 kg wrestling gold at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi‑Nagoya, beating Tajikistan’s Abdulmazhid Kudiev 10‑9 after trailing 2‑9 early in the final. He turned the match around with four successive takedowns, including a right‑leg attack and a final left‑leg takedown with under 30 seconds left, ending India’s eight‑year wait for gold in this weight class since Bajrang Punia (2018) and Yogeshwar Dutt (2014). Coach Kuldeep Singh Sehrawat noted Sujeet made a few mistakes by losing attacking position but praised his speed and smart moves that caught the Tajik wrestler off guard.

Reaction

Kuldeep Singh Sehrawat told The Indian Express that Sujeet never expected anything less than gold and stayed ice‑cold under pressure. Father Dayanand Kalkal, watching from Imlota, Haryana, said he was worried when the score hit 2‑9 but was relieved to see his son not buckle. The Indian contingent cheered loudly as Sujeet entered the mat for the final.

Context

Sujeet, 23, entered the Games as world No 2 and unbeaten this season, with medal odds higher than Olympic bronze‑medallist Aman Sehrawat. Earlier he had upset Olympic champion Kotaro Kiyooka of Japan in the semi‑final, winning 3‑3 on technical criteria after a planned counter to Kiyooka’s right‑leg attack. The victory puts him on track for the 2026 World Championships.