Lalit Aims for Gold at Asian Wrestling Championships 2026 in Kyrgyzstan

Lalit Set to Compete for Gold

New Delhi [India] - On April 6, former U-23 Asian Championships bronze medalist Lalit is gearing up to compete for the gold medal in the men's 55kg Greco-Roman category at the Asian Wrestling Championships 2026, taking place in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, this Tuesday. Alongside him, two other Indian wrestlers are also in contention for bronze medals.

The 23-year-old Lalit showcased his skills by defeating China's Huoying Shi with a score of 11-3 in the semifinals. However, it was a mixed day for the Indian team, as Aman (77 kg Greco-Roman) and former champion Sunil Kumar (87 kg Greco-Roman) faced defeats in their respective semifinal matches.

Having recently secured a bronze medal at the Muhamet Malo Wrestling meet, Lalit is now set to face Uzbekistan's Ikhtiyor Botirov, who earned a bronze at the 2025 Asian Championships after overcoming local favorite Ulan Uulu with a score of 5-3 in the second semifinal.

In the 77 kg Greco-Roman semifinal, Aman lost to Iran's Ali Oskou, a Zagreb Open gold medalist, with a score of 13-3. Previously, Aman had made a comeback from a 1-4 deficit to win 6-4 against China's Halishan Bahejiang in the quarterfinals. He will now compete against South Korea's Yeonghun Noh for the bronze medal. Sunil Kumar, the 2020 Asian champion, was defeated in his semifinal by Gholamreza Farokhisenjani of Iran, with a score of 0-8.

In the 65kg Greco-Roman category, Sunny Kumar was eliminated in the qualification round by Kazakhstan's Saifulla Kurman. Additionally, Joginder Rathee faced elimination in the men's 130kg Greco-Roman category after losing in the quarterfinals to South Korea's Minseok Kim, who subsequently lost in the semifinals against Iran's Mirzazadeh, ending Joginder's hopes for a repechage round.

On Tuesday, five more Indian wrestlers will be competing: Sahil (60kg GR), Sachin Sahrawat (67kg GR), Anil (72kg GR), Prince (82kg GR), and Nitesh (97kg GR).