Sujeet Kalkal won the men’s 65 kg freestyle wrestling gold medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 after producing a remarkable comeback in the final. The 23-year-old Indian wrestler defeated Tajikistan’s Abdulmazhid Kudiev 10-9 on October 2, despite trailing 2-9 with only 1 minute and 40 seconds remaining. His victory gave India a major wrestling title and ended an eight-year wait for an Asian Games wrestling gold.

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Sujeet Kalkal Produces a Dramatic Comeback

The final appeared to be slipping away from Sujeet when Kudiev built a seven-point lead. With just 1 minute and 40 seconds left, the Indian wrestler was behind 2-9 and needed a huge change in momentum.

Sujeet responded with a series of attacks that quickly changed the contest. He reduced the gap, continued pressing his opponent and eventually moved ahead 10-9 before the final whistle.

The comeback made the 65 kg final one of the most dramatic wrestling bouts of India’s campaign at the Aichi-Nagoya Games.

From 2-9 Down to a 10-9 Victory

The Sujeet Kalkal final showed how quickly a wrestling bout can change. Kudiev appeared to have control after building a 9-2 advantage, but Sujeet refused to give up.

The Indian wrestler increased his attacking pace during the closing stages. His pressure forced Kudiev into difficult positions and allowed Sujeet to collect points in rapid succession.

The final score of 10-9 gave Sujeet the gold medal after one of the biggest comebacks of the wrestling competition.

Victory Over Olympic Champion in Semifinal

Sujeet had already faced a major challenge before reaching the final. In the semifinal, he defeated Japan’s Kotaro Kiyooka, the reigning Olympic champion in the 65 kg category.

The victory over Kiyooka gave Sujeet a place in the gold-medal bout and provided a major boost to his confidence.

Kiyooka had entered the competition as one of the strongest wrestlers in the division, making Sujeet’s semifinal victory one of the important results of India’s wrestling campaign.

India Ends Eight-Year Wait for Wrestling Gold

Sujeet’s gold was India’s first Asian Games wrestling gold since 2018. Bajrang Punia had previously won the men’s 65 kg gold medal at the Jakarta Asian Games in 2018.

The same weight category also has a strong connection with India’s Asian Games wrestling history. Yogeshwar Dutt won gold in the 65 kg category at the 2014 Asian Games, while Bajrang followed with gold four years later.

Sujeet has now added his name to that list with his victory in Japan.

A Strong Year for Sujeet

The Sujeet Kalkal victory follows a successful period in his wrestling career. Before the Asian Games, he had already won the 2026 Senior Asian Championship and the 2025 World Under-23 title.

Those performances helped establish him as one of India’s promising wrestlers in the 65 kg category.

His Asian Games campaign then took his career to another level. Defeating an Olympic champion in the semifinal and recovering from a seven-point deficit in the final demonstrated his ability to compete under intense pressure.

Wrestling Roots in Haryana

Sujeet comes from Imlota village in Haryana and began training in wrestling at a local akhada. His father, Dayanand Kalkal, was a former national-level wrestler and became his early coach.

Haryana has a long tradition of producing successful Indian wrestlers and has contributed many athletes to India’s national and international wrestling teams.

Sujeet’s journey from a village wrestling environment to an Asian Games gold medal adds another chapter to that tradition.

The 65 kg Freestyle Category

The men’s 65 kg division is one of the established weight categories in international freestyle wrestling. Wrestlers compete using a combination of takedowns, turns, exposure techniques and other scoring actions.

Freestyle wrestling also allows competitors to attack and defend using their legs. This makes movement, balance and quick changes in position important parts of a bout.

The weight category has produced several major international wrestlers, and the level of competition at the Asian Games remains high because athletes from strong wrestling nations compete for the title.

Haryana Celebrates a Major Sporting Day

Sujeet’s victory was part of a strong day for athletes from Haryana at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. Haryana athletes won four gold medals on October 2, adding to the state’s contribution to India’s medal campaign.

The achievements came across different sports and showed the wide range of disciplines in which athletes from the state compete at the national and international level.

For Sujeet, however, the day ended with a particularly memorable achievement after his dramatic comeback against Kudiev.

A New Name in India’s Wrestling Lineage

The Sujeet Kalkal gold adds another young name to India’s growing wrestling talent pool. His performance at Aichi-Nagoya combined experience, resilience and attacking ability.

His victory over Kiyooka in the semifinal and his comeback from 2-9 down in the final gave his Asian Games campaign two defining moments.

At 23, Sujeet now has an Asian Games gold medal alongside his Senior Asian Championship and World Under-23 titles, marking a significant stage in his international wrestling career.