Sujeet Kalkal Shines with Gold at Zagreb Open 2026
India's Strong Start at Zagreb Open 2026
Sujeet Kalkal kicked off India's participation at the Zagreb Open 2026 by clinching a gold medal in the 65 kg category. The men's freestyle wrestling team had a remarkable opening day, securing three medals on Wednesday, as reported by Olympics.com.
Sujeet Kalkal's Impressive Gold Medal Performance
A world champion at the under-23 level, Sujeet delivered an outstanding performance, winning the final without conceding any points. The 23-year-old triumphed with a 3-0 victory against Iran's Peyman Ali Nemati. Earlier, he showcased his skills by defeating Khamzat Arsamerzouev from France through technical superiority in the quarter-finals and eliminated two-time Pan American champion Joseph McKenna from the USA with an 11-0 score in the semifinals.
Aman Sehrawat Takes Silver
Aman Sehrawat earned a silver medal, marking his third medal at the Zagreb Open throughout his career. The youngest Indian Olympic medalist achieved victories over Reza Hossein Momenijoujadeh (12-2) and Giorgi Goniashvili from Georgia (10-0), and he received a walkover against Palestine's Ali Aburmaila. However, in the final against Austin DeSanto from the USA, he lost 8-0, settling for silver.
Abhimanyu's Bronze Medal Comeback
In the 70 kg category, Abhimanyu began with a stunning 10-0 victory over Tyler Kasak from the USA in the quarter-finals. Unfortunately, he faced a setback in the semifinals, losing 10-0 to Iran's Sina Khalili. Nevertheless, he rebounded in the bronze medal match, defeating Ian Parker from the USA with a score of 6-3.
Other Indian Wrestlers' Performances
In the men's 57 kg division, Ankush advanced to the bronze medal bout through repechage but was defeated by Iran's Milad Valizadeh with a score of 10-0. Atish Todkar was eliminated in the qualification round of the same weight class. In the 86 kg category, Mukul Dahiya narrowly lost to Iran's Ali Savadkouhi 6-5 in the bronze medal playoff, while Sandeep Singh Mann (86kg), Deepak (74kg), and Chandermohan (74kg) did not make significant impacts in their matches.
Olympian and two-time World Championships bronze medalist Antim Panghal is set to compete on Saturday.