Story perspectives

Sujeet Kalkal wins India’s first 2026 wrestling gold

By Drooid · Oct 2, 2026, 3:59 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Sujeet Kalkal won the men’s 65 kg freestyle wrestling gold at the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya.
He rallied from a 2-9 deficit to defeat Abdulmazhid Kudiev 10-9 with 1 minute 40 seconds remaining.
In the semifinal he advanced past Olympic champion Kotaro Kiyooka by criteria after a 3-3 tie.
His victory gave India its first wrestling title at the 2026 Games and its 75th overall medal.

History

Historical Context

India’s wrestling rise began when Sushil Kumar earned a bronze at Beijing 2008 – the nation’s first Olympic wrestling medal since K.D. Jadhav’s 1952 bronze – then captured a world title and Commonwealth gold in 2010 and a silver in London 2012. Building on that legacy, Sujeet Kalkal’s 2026 Nagoya gold marks India’s first wrestling champion at the Asian Games.

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Story summary

Sujeet Kalkal won the men’s 65 kg freestyle wrestling gold at the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya.
He rallied from a 2-9 deficit to defeat Abdulmazhid Kudiev 10-9 with 1 minute 40 seconds remaining.
In the semifinal he advanced past Olympic champion Kotaro Kiyooka by criteria after a 3-3 tie.
His victory gave India its first wrestling title at the 2026 Games and its 75th overall medal.

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