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Sujeet Kalkal Wins India’s First Wrestling Gold Since 2018
Sujeet Kalkal won a gold medal for India in freestyle wrestling.
He competed in the 65-kilogram weight class.
In the final, Tajikistan’s Abdulmazhid Kudiev led 9-2.
It looked like Kalkal might lose and receive silver.
But Kalkal scored points again and again near the end.
He completed a final takedown with only 11 seconds left.
That gave him a 10-9 victory.
His win was India’s first Asian Games wrestling gold since 2018.
Before the final, he had also beaten an Olympic champion from Japan.
Sujeet Kalkal defeated Tajikistan’s Abdulmazhid Kudiev 10-9 in the men’s freestyle 65kg final.
Kalkal overturned a 2-9 deficit by scoring eight consecutive points late in the match.
The Indian wrestler sealed victory with a final takedown with 11 seconds remaining.
Kalkal defeated Japan’s Olympic champion Kotaro Kiyooka 3-3 on criteria in the semifinal.
His victory ended India’s wait for an Asian Games wrestling gold since the 2018 edition.
- Who
- Indian wrestler Sujeet Kalkal and Tajikistan’s Abdulmazhid Kudiev.
- What
- Kalkal won the men’s freestyle 65kg wrestling final 10-9 after coming back from 2-9 down.
- Where
- The final was held at the Nagoya City Inae Sports Center in Nishio, according to one report; another identifies the venue area as Aichi-Nagoya.
- When
- Friday during the 2026 Asian Games.
- Why
- Kalkal’s late takedowns overturned the deficit and secured India’s first Asian Games wrestling gold since 2018.
Key facts
- Event
- 2026 Asian Games
- Sport
- Men’s freestyle wrestling
- Weight class
- 65kg
- Final score
- Sujeet Kalkal defeated Abdulmazhid Kudiev 10-9
- Comeback
- Kalkal recovered from a 2-9 deficit and scored eight consecutive points late
- Semifinal
- Kalkal defeated Japan’s Kotaro Kiyooka 3-3 on criteria
- Historical significance
- India’s first Asian Games wrestling gold since 2018
Sources
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