Sujeet Kalkal Clinches Historic Gold at Asian Games 2026

Sujeet Kalkal's Remarkable Victory

Indian wrestler Sujeet Kalkal achieved a remarkable milestone by winning a gold medal at the Asian Games 2026, held in Aichi-Nagoya. He triumphed over Abdulmazhid Kudiev from Tajikistan in the men's freestyle 65kg final on Friday. Despite trailing 2-9 with just 1 minute and 40 seconds remaining, Sujeet executed a series of takedowns, turning the match in his favor and securing the gold with only 11 seconds left on the clock.

This victory marks India's first gold in wrestling at the Asian Games since Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat won golds at the Jakarta-Palembang 2018 edition, according to ESPN. With this win, India has now accumulated a total of 75 medals at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, including 15 golds, 25 silvers, and 35 bronzes.

A Thrilling Comeback

The final match began with Abdulmazhid taking an early lead, first pushing Sujeet out of the ring for two points and then securing another two points by grabbing his legs, making the score 4-0. However, Sujeet quickly responded with a two-point takedown, showcasing an exciting display of offensive wrestling.

As the match progressed, Abdulmazhid continued to score, and Sujeet found himself off balance during an aggressive maneuver, ending the first period down 2-5. The Tajik wrestler then executed a takedown and flipped Sujeet for a four-point move, extending his lead to 9-2.

With just over a minute left, Sujeet managed a significant takedown, followed by another, narrowing the gap to 6-9. He continued to score two-point takedowns, ultimately winning the match with 11 seconds remaining.

Path to the Gold Medal Match

Prior to the final, Sujeet delivered one of the standout performances of the day by defeating Japan's Kiyooka in the men's freestyle 65kg semifinal. The reigning Olympic champion initially led 2-0 after the first period, but Sujeet mounted a strong comeback in the second period, scoring three points.

With the score tied at 3-3, Sujeet was declared the winner based on having scored the last point, thus advancing to the gold medal match.

Earlier in the tournament, Sujeet had also secured victories against Afghanistan's Sayed Omar Zazai in the round of 16 and Iran's Abbas Ebrahimzadehsavadkouhi in the quarterfinal.