Sujeet Kalkal secured India’s first wrestling gold of the Asian Games 2026 on Friday by defeating Tajikistan’s Abdulmazhid Kudiyev 10-9 in the men’s freestyle 65kg final at the Nagoya City Inae Sports Center.
Key Takeaways:
- Sujeet Kalkal defeated Tajikistan’s Abdulmazhid Kudiyev 10-9 in the men’s freestyle 65kg final.
- Kalkal overturned a 2-9 deficit by scoring eight straight points in the closing stages.
- The victory gave India its first wrestling gold medal at the Asian Games 2026.
Sujeet Kalkal produced one of the most dramatic comebacks of the Asian Games 2026 to capture the men’s freestyle 65kg gold medal on Friday.
The 23-year-old Indian wrestler defeated Tajikistan’s Abdulmazhid Kudiyev 10-9 in a tense final at the Nagoya City Inae Sports Center. The victory ended India’s wait for a wrestling gold medal at the Games.
Kalkal faced a huge challenge in the final. Kudiyev established a 9-2 lead and appeared close to securing the title. The Indian, however, refused to concede the contest.
He launched a spectacular late attack and scored eight consecutive points. The surge completely changed the outcome and lifted Kalkal to a memorable 10-9 victory.
The gold also marked Kalkal’s first Asian Games title.
Kalkal Builds Momentum in Opening Bout
Kalkal began his campaign against Afghanistan’s Sayed Omar Zazai. He endured an early setback and found himself 0-3 behind.
The Indian quickly changed the momentum. He scored through a push-out and followed it with a shoulder throw to move ahead 5-3.
Kalkal then extended his advantage with another throw and a roll. The sequence earned him four more points and gave him a commanding position.
He completed the bout with a 13-3 victory by technical superiority. The result sent him into the quarterfinals with confidence.
Clinical Win Against Iranian Opponent
Kalkal maintained his strong run in the quarterfinal against Iran’s Abbas Ebrahimzadehsavadkouhi.
The Indian delivered a controlled performance and dominated the contest. He secured victory through technical superiority without conceding a single point.
The result took Kalkal into the semifinal and brought him closer to a place in the gold-medal bout.
Olympic Champion Stands in Kalkal’s Way
Kalkal faced his biggest challenge of the campaign in the semifinal. His opponent was Japan’s Olympic champion Kotaro Kiyooka.
Kiyooka gained an early advantage and Kalkal entered the second period trailing 0-2. The Indian responded strongly in the next period.
Kalkal scored three points, while Kiyooka added only one. The comeback brought the contest level at 3-3.
Neither wrestler could break the deadlock by the end of the bout. Kalkal eventually secured victory on the basis of the applicable criteria and booked his place in the final.
Eight Straight Points Seal Historic Gold
The final against Kudiyev appeared to be slipping away from Kalkal after the Tajik wrestler built a 9-2 lead.
Kalkal then produced the defining moment of his Asian Games campaign. He launched a late scoring burst and collected eight points in succession.
The Indian overturned the seven-point deficit and moved ahead 10-9 in the closing stages. Kudiyev could not respond before the contest ended.
Kalkal’s dramatic victory secured India’s first wrestling gold medal at the Asian Games 2026.
The triumph also capped an impressive campaign in Aichi-Nagoya. Before reaching the final, Kalkal had defeated Afghanistan’s Sayed Omar Zazai, Iran’s Abbas Ebrahimzadehsavadkouhi and Japan’s Olympic champion Kotaro Kiyooka.
His performance in the final completed a remarkable journey from an early deficit to the top of the podium.