Archive · 3 Oct 2026
Deepak Punia Wins Second Asian Games Medal With Bronze
Deepak Punia won a bronze medal in men’s 97kg freestyle wrestling at the Asian Games.
He earned it by beating Mongolia’s Gankhuyang Ganbataar 2-1.
This is Punia’s second Asian Games medal.
He won silver at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games.
Before the bronze bout, he lost a close semifinal match to Sherzod Poyonov of Uzbekistan, 8-9.
Punia used to compete in the 86kg weight division and has moved to 97kg.
Earlier in the competition, he beat Junpeng Zhou of China 12-2.
He also advanced after Hong Kong’s Vincent Fung Wui Li gave him a walkover.
Deepak Punia won bronze in the men’s 97kg freestyle wrestling event.
He defeated Mongolia’s Gankhuyang Ganbataar 2-1 in the bronze-medal bout.
The 27-year-old Indian earned his second Asian Games medal after winning silver in 2023.
Punia lost his semifinal to Uzbekistan’s Sherzod Poyonov by a narrow 8-9 score.
Competing at 97kg after moving up from 86kg, he opened with a 12-2 win over China’s Junpeng Zhou and received a walkover from Hong Kong’s Vincent Fung Wui Li.
- Who
- Indian wrestler Deepak Punia, competing against Gankhuyang Ganbataar of Mongolia for bronze.
- What
- Punia won the men’s 97kg freestyle wrestling bronze medal with a 2-1 victory.
- When
- Saturday; the article does not specify a calendar date.
- Where
- Nagoya.
- Why
- He won the bronze-medal bout after losing his semifinal 8-9 to Sherzod Poyonov.
- Medal
- Bronze
- Event
- Men’s 97kg freestyle wrestling
- Bronze bout
- Punia defeated Gankhuyang Ganbataar 2-1
- Semifinal
- Punia lost 8-9 to Sherzod Poyonov
- Previous Asian Games medal
- Silver at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games
- Previous weight division
- 86kg
- Opening win
- Punia defeated Junpeng Zhou 12-2 by technical superiority
