India Shines at 2026 Senior Asian Wrestling Championships with Silver and Bronze Medals

India's Medal Achievements in Bishkek

On April 7, in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Lalit, a former bronze medallist from the U-23 Asian Championships, secured India's first medal at the 2026 Senior Asian Wrestling Championships by clinching a silver in the 55kg Greco-Roman division. Meanwhile, Nitesh advanced to the finals in the 97kg Greco-Roman category.

Sunil Kumar, a previous champion, also contributed to India's success by winning a bronze medal, marking a productive day for the Indian wrestling team. Lalit showcased his skills by defeating China's Huoying Shi in the semi-finals but ultimately lost to Uzbekistan's Ikhtiyor Botirov in the final with a score of 0-9.

In the 87kg bronze medal bout, Sunil Kumar made a remarkable comeback after trailing in the first round, overcoming Uzbekistan's Mukhammadkodir Rasulov with a close score of 5-4, thus earning his second consecutive bronze at the Asian Championships. Nitesh, who had previously won bronze last year, secured his place in the finals by defeating Zegang Wang of China 7-2 in the semi-finals, setting up a gold medal match against Iran's defending champion Mohammadhadi Saravi.

The 23-year-old Nitesh capitalized on a scoring opportunity in the first round, earning six points, including a four-point throw, and maintained his lead with solid defense in the second round.

India is also poised for a bronze medal in the 82kg Greco-Roman category, with Prince set to compete against Didar Ammanazarov from Turkmenistan. After losing 10-0 to Iran's Mohammadamin Hosseini in the semi-finals, Prince aims to bounce back. Additionally, Aman faced a narrow defeat in the 77kg Greco-Roman bronze medal match, losing 14-15 to South Korea's Yeonghun Noh after a valiant effort to recover from a 7-12 deficit.

Sachin Sahrawat (67kg GR) will also vie for a bronze medal after advancing to the Repechage round, where he will face China's Ji Leng on Wednesday.