Sujeet Kalkal clinched the Asian Games gold medal in the men's 65kg wrestling category, overcoming strong rivals including an Olympic champion. He demonstrated remarkable resilience by coming from behind in the final to secure his first Asian Games title.
India's wrestling campaign at the Asian Games will be spearheaded by Sujeet Kalkal, Antim Panghal, and Aman Sehrawat, all of whom face challenging draws. Sujeet is in red-hot form but could meet Olympic champion Kotaro Kiyooka, while Antim Panghal eyes a strong performance against Zhang Jin. Olympic medallist Aman Sehrawat also has a tough path, potentially facing another Olympic medallist early on. The wider Indian contingent also features medal hopefuls across freestyle, women's, and Greco-Roman categories.
Olympic bronze medallist Aman Sehrawat and Antim Panghal have secured their spots in the men's 57kg and women's 53kg finals, respectively, at the Asian Games in Nagoya. Both wrestlers, who previously won bronze at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, are now poised to compete for gold.
Kajal Dhochak clinched her second consecutive U20 World title in wrestling, while teammates Tanu Sharma and Savita secured silver medals at the Under-20 Wrestling World Championship.
Indian wrestler Aman Sehrawat won the men's 57kg gold medal at the Asian Games, defeating North Korea's world champion Chong Song Han in the final.
Asian Games gold medallist Aman Sherawat expresses strong confidence in winning an Olympic wrestling gold medal at the Los Angeles 2028 Games. Having defeated a world champion in the Asian Games, he believes he can achieve what no other Indian wrestler has done, despite the challenges of the competitive 57kg category and past weight issues. He plans to continue training with foreign coaches to fine-tune his techniques.
The Pro Wrestling League (PWL) is set to kick off its sixth season from January 9 to 26 next year in New Delhi, featuring 86 grapplers, including 34 international medallists. Six franchises will compete across Olympic weight categories, with Indian Asian Games medallists and Japanese Olympic champion Yui Susaki among the participants.
Indian Greco-Roman wrestler Vishvajit More secured a silver medal at the U23 World Championship in Las Vegas, becoming the first Indian to achieve this feat. He lost a close final to Georgia's Koba Karumidze. Komal and Diksha Malik are still in contention for bronze medals in the women's event.
Himanshu Dhillon, on his 21st birthday, won the silver medal in the men's 10m air rifle at the Asian Games.
India's Amruta Pujari has stormed into the women's 72kg final at the Under-23 World Wrestling Championships, while Komal secured a bronze medal in the 59kg category. Sweety and Vaishnavi Patil are also in contention for bronze through repechage, adding to Vishvajit More's earlier silver medal.
India concluded its Asian Games campaign in Nagoya with a creditable fourth place, securing 85 medals, including 21 golds. The final days saw a surge in gold medals, notably from the cricket and hockey teams, and historic individual wins by 17-year-old archer Kumkum Mohod and golfer Pranavi Urs.
India's Nitesh Siwach secured a silver medal in Greco Roman wrestling at the Asian Games in Nagoya, losing to Japan's Yuri Nakazato. This result extends India's wait for a Greco Roman gold since 1962.
India achieved a respectable fourth-place finish in the Asian Games medals tally, securing 85 medals including 21 gold, driven by a significant late surge in boxing, archery, wrestling, and hockey, despite initial setbacks in shooting and athletics.
Indian women wrestlers concluded their campaign at the U23 World Wrestling Championships with two medals. Amruta Pujari secured a silver in the 72kg category, while Komal won a bronze in the 59kg division. The men's freestyle team, however, had a disappointing outing, failing to reach any medal rounds.
Archer Kumkum Mohod and wrestler Sujeet Kalkal have been named the first recipients of the Jaspal Rana Award and Raja Randhir Singh Award, respectively, by the Indian Olympic Association. These awards recognise their exceptional performances at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, where Mohod secured two archery golds and Kalkal won gold in wrestling.
Indian wrestling coach Virender Dahiya and wrestler Antim Panghal have expressed strong confidence in the national team's preparation and potential for the upcoming Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Dahiya believes the team will significantly improve on its previous medal tally, while Panghal highlights the strong team cohesion and gold medal aspirations. The squad features a mix of experienced and young talent, aiming to overcome strong regional competitors.
Indian wrestlers delivered a strong performance at the Budapest Ranking Series, securing a total of 12 medals.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated India's Asian Games medallists, praising their outstanding performances and specifically highlighting the women's hockey team's gold medal win after over four decades. India secured a strong position in the medals tally with a six-gold haul on the penultimate day, with Modi acknowledging individual achievements in wrestling, boxing, archery, sepaktakraw, and sailing.
Asian Games gold medalist wrestler Sujeet Kalkal's father, Dayanand, shared insights into his son's remarkable journey, highlighting his transition from football to wrestling, his academic excellence as a non-medical science topper, and his recent triumph at the Asian Games.
Olympic bronze medallist Aman Sehrawat won a gold medal in the men's 57kg freestyle category at the Polyak Imre, Varga Janos and Kozma Istvan Memorial Senior Ranking Tournament in Budapest. Deepak also secured a bronze in the 61kg category, with two more Indian wrestlers vying for podium finishes.
India achieved a remarkable six-gold haul on the penultimate day of the Asian Games, surging to fifth place with 76 medals. Key victories included the women's hockey team securing gold and Olympic qualification, historic boxing golds from Lovlina Borgohain, Parveen Hooda, and Ankush Panghal, a wrestling gold by Sujeet Kalkal, and maiden recurve archery gold. This strong finish significantly bolstered India's overall campaign.
Olympic bronze medallist Aman Sehrawat won a gold medal in the men's 57kg freestyle category at the Polyak Imre, Varga Janos and Kozma Istvan Memorial Senior Ranking Tournament in Budapest. Deepak also secured a bronze in the 61kg category, with two more Indian wrestlers vying for podium finishes.
Nitesh Siwach stormed into the Asian Games 97kg Greco-Roman final with a 9-0 win, moving one victory away from India's first gold in the style since 1962.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath congratulated the Indian women's hockey team for winning the gold medal at the Asian Games 2026, ending a 44-year wait and securing a direct qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. He also extended congratulations to other Indian medal winners in boxing, wrestling, and archery, highlighting India's strong performance at the Games.
Indian wrestler Sujeet Kalkal has advanced to the men's 65kg semifinals at the Asian Games after securing two dominant victories, including a technical superiority win against Iran's Abbas Ebrahimzadehsavadkouhi. Meanwhile, three other Indian wrestlers faced early exits from the competition.
India's para track and field athletes delivered a stellar performance at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games, securing six medals, including three gold, on the opening day of athletics competitions. Long jumper Nishad Kumar, javelin thrower Rinku Hooda, and visually impaired middle-distance runner Soumya each won gold in their respective events, contributing to India's strong start.
India achieved its most successful day at the Asian Games, securing 10 gold medals, 21 silver, and 29 bronze, bringing the total to 60 and improving its ranking to seventh. Compound archers swept all team golds, including an Olympic quota, while trap shooters Neeru Dhanda and Kynan Chenai also won mixed gold. Boxing and wrestling added bronze medals, and the women's hockey team reached the final, assuring at least a silver.
Indian wrestler Sujeet Kalkal secured a gold medal at the Asian Games, overcoming an Olympic champion and a significant deficit in the final bout. His victory, marked by an extraordinary comeback, has fueled his belief in contending for an Olympic medal in 2028, showcasing his fearless mindset and determination.
If India's medal tally ultimately falls significantly short of Hangzhou, the conversation should not stop with the athletes or coaches. It should extend to a much more uncomfortable institutional question: After years of increased investment, programmes, infrastructure and policy attention, where exactly is the system failing to convert that investment into medals, champions and depth across sports? asks Jaydeep Ray.
Glasgow 2026 will look very different for India. Several of the country's biggest medal-winning sports-including wrestling, badminton, hockey and table tennis-have been dropped from the Commonwealth Games, leaving India with far fewer chances to add to its medal tally.
India overcame early setbacks in shooting and athletics to achieve a strong fourth-place finish at the Asian Games, matching its previous edition's ranking. A late surge in boxing, archery, wrestling, and hockey, alongside historic wins in golf and cricket, contributed significantly to the medal tally, despite a lower overall medal count compared to the 2022 edition.
Indian Olympic Association president PT Usha has called for a stronger, athlete-centric sporting ecosystem, emphasising the need for robust federations, committed coaches, quality infrastructure, and effective sports science support. She highlighted that sporting excellence requires institutions that prioritise athletes and provide fair opportunities, while also congratulating recent Asian Games gold medallists.
Former U17 World Champion Neha clinched a gold medal in the women's 59kg category at the Polyak Imre, Varga Janos & Kozma Istvan Memorial Senior Ranking Tournament in Budapest. This victory marked India's second gold, following Aman Sehrawat's earlier triumph. India also secured a silver medal through Mansi and a bronze through Savita in the 62kg women's wrestling division, bringing the total medal count to eight.
Indian wrestlers showcased their dominance at the U23 Wrestling Asian Championships, securing multiple gold medals in both freestyle and women's categories.
Nitesh Siwach secured India's first Greco-Roman wrestling silver medal at the Asian Games since 1962, though he missed out on gold after being defeated by Japan's Yuri Nakazato in the 97kg final. Meanwhile, Mansi Ahlawat lost her bronze medal play-off in the women's 62kg event, and other Indian wrestlers were eliminated in the quarterfinals.
Nitesh Siwach has secured India's first silver medal in Greco-Roman wrestling at the Asian Games since 1962, despite missing out on gold in the men's 97kg final against Japan's Yuri Nakazato.
India finished fourth at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games with 85 medals, a significant dip from the previous edition's record haul. While traditional strongholds like shooting and athletics underperformed, breakthroughs in archery, wrestling, golf, boxing, hockey, and cricket showcased a broadening sporting base. The performance serves as a reality check on sustaining progress towards top global rankings and highlights areas for improvement in mental conditioning and preparation.
India's men's freestyle team emerged as champions at the U23 Asian Wrestling Championships, held in Da Nang, Vietnam. The country concluded its campaign with a total of 27 medals across various categories, showcasing dominance in freestyle, women's wrestling, and Greco-Roman disciplines.
India finished fourth with 85 medals at Aichi-Nagoya, down from 106 in Hangzhou, highlighting the challenge of sustaining progress on the road to 2036.
Indian wrestlers Mansi Lather, Kajal, and Sumit secured gold medals at the U23 Asian Wrestling Championships in Da Nang, Vietnam, leading a strong performance by the Indian contingent.
