Coach Shako says Indian wrestlers have tapped only 40% of their potential after record Asian Games haul

Indian wrestlers posted their best Asian Games results since 1962, clinching two gold, two silver and two bronze medals in 2026. Freestyle athletes contributed half of the tally, with Aman Sehrawat (57 kg) and Sujeet Kalkal (65 kg) each taking gold and Deepak Punia (97 kg) earning bronze. The team also secured two silver medals, though the medalists were not named in the report. Sagar Jaglan (74 kg) upset reigning Olympic champion Razambek Jamalov of Uzbekistan in the repechage but fell short in the bronze‑medal bout, while rookie Rajal Ruhal (125 kg) exited in the first round.

Coach's Analysis

Freestyle coach Bentinidis Shako praised the three medallists out of five wrestlers and called the overall showing satisfactory. He described Aman as one of the nation’s best‑conditioned fighters, noting his adaptation to the 97 kg class despite it not being his natural weight and his upcoming return to 86 kg. Shako said Sujeet is a technically strong, aggressive wrestler who can dominate from the start and has a realistic chance of becoming a historic World Champion. The coach highlighted that mindset work—reducing nerves before facing champions from Japan, Iran or the world—has already paid off, as seen in Sagar’s win over an Olympic champion.

Context

India’s wrestling federation aims to secure Olympic quota spots at the 2027 World Championships, hoping to have all places locked in for the 2028 Games. Shako believes the squad is operating at roughly 40 % of its capacity and plans to double that by focusing on mental preparation and strengthening heavyweight depth.