Aman Antim reached the gold-medal bouts at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on October 3, 2026, giving India two strong chances for wrestling gold. Aman Sehrawat advanced to the men’s 57 kg final after defeating Tajikistan’s Aiaal Belolyubskii 14-8 in the semifinal, while Antim Panghal reached the women’s 53 kg final with a 6-1 victory over China’s Jin Zhang. Both Indian wrestlers were set to fight for gold later the same day.

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Aman Sehrawat Books His Place in the Final

Aman Sehrawat produced a strong performance in the men’s 57 kg semifinal. He defeated Aiaal Belolyubskii 14-8 after controlling important stages of the bout and building a clear points advantage.

The win continued a strong Asian Games campaign for Sehrawat. Earlier in the competition, he defeated Japan’s Yamato Ogawa 20-9 by technical superiority in his opening bout.

Sehrawat entered the competition as one of India’s leading freestyle wrestlers. He won a bronze medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and has continued to compete at the highest level in the 57 kg category.

His final opponent was North Korea’s Chong Song Han, setting up another major international test for the Indian wrestler.

Antim Panghal Reaches the Women’s Final

Antim Panghal also secured a place in the gold-medal bout after defeating China’s Jin Zhang 6-1 in the women’s 53 kg semifinal.

Panghal had started her Asian Games campaign with a convincing 9-0 victory over Kazakhstan’s Shugyla Omirbek. She then continued her progress through the knockout rounds and secured her place in the final with the win over Zhang.

The Indian wrestler was scheduled to face Japan’s Moe Kiyooka in the final. Kiyooka is a former world champion, making the gold-medal bout a major challenge for Panghal.

A Chance for Two Wrestling Gold Medals

The progress of Aman Antim gave India two opportunities to win wrestling gold medals on the same day. Both wrestlers had reached the final through strong performances in their respective weight categories.

Aman was competing in the men’s 57 kg division, while Panghal was fighting in the women’s 53 kg category. Their success also added to India’s wrestling campaign at the Aichi-Nagoya Games, where several Indian wrestlers were competing across different weight classes.

The two finals were scheduled later on October 3, with both athletes looking to finish their campaigns with gold.

Manisha Bhanwala’s Campaign Ends

India’s Manisha Bhanwala competed in the women’s 57 kg category but was eliminated after losing to Japan’s Akari Fujinami in the quarterfinals.

Fujinami later lost her next bout, which meant Bhanwala did not get a chance to enter the repechage route. Her campaign therefore ended without a medal opportunity.

The result showed how important the repechage system can be in wrestling. A wrestler defeated by a finalist can receive another route towards the bronze-medal contest, but that opportunity depends on the defeated opponent continuing through the tournament.

Wrestling Brings Strong Competition to Aichi-Nagoya

Freestyle wrestling at the Asian Games features multiple men’s and women’s weight categories. Unlike Greco-Roman wrestling, freestyle allows competitors to attack their opponent’s legs and use their own legs during offensive and defensive moves.

The matches can be decided through points, technical superiority or other scoring situations depending on the bout. Wrestlers must combine strength, speed, balance and tactical awareness throughout the contest.

At Aichi-Nagoya, the Indian team entered the wrestling competition with several experienced international athletes as well as younger competitors looking to establish themselves on the continental stage.

Aman and Antim Carry India’s Gold Hopes

The success of Aman Antim on October 3 placed both Indian wrestlers in a strong position before their respective finals. Aman Sehrawat was looking to add an Asian Games title to his Olympic bronze medal, while Antim Panghal was aiming to win gold after building her reputation in international wrestling.

Their semifinal victories were also different in style. Sehrawat’s 14-8 win produced a high-scoring contest, while Panghal controlled her bout against Jin Zhang and won by a more comfortable 6-1 margin.

With both wrestlers reaching the final, India had two strong opportunities to add another pair of wrestling medals to its Aichi-Nagoya campaign.