HighLights
  1. Sujeet Kalkal clinched Asian Games 2026 gold in 65kg freestyle wrestling.
  2. Achieved stunning 10-9 comeback victory in final after trailing 2-9.
  3. Overcame Olympic disqualification, trained by father Dayanand Kalkal.

Asian Games 2026: Sujeet Kalkal etched his name in wrestling history after winning the 2026 Asian Games gold medal in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. A football-loving child, Sujeet was trained by his father, Dayanand Kalkal, a former wrestler, in Imlota, Haryana. With limited facilities at their disposal, his father trained him at a local akhada and helped him build his career from the ground up.

His biggest test came in the men’s 65kg freestyle final against Tajikistan’s Abdulmazhid Kudiev. Trailing 2-9 in the final minutes, Sujeet looked set to lose the bout. But the 23-year-old refused to give up. He launched a series of takedowns in the closing seconds and, with just seconds left on the clock, completed a stunning comeback to win 10-9.

The victory gave Sujeet his first Asian Games gold and marked another major milestone in his wrestling career.

Also Read: Asian Games 2026 Medal Tally: India Adds Golds In Cricket, Golf, Wrestling; Check Latest Count And Rank

‘He Didn’t Want To Be A Wrestler’

Sujeet did not always want to become a wrestler. As a child, he was more interested in football. His father, however, had other plans.

“He didn’t want to be a wrestler. I made him one. And I never wanted his studies to suffer, so he also completed his graduation (BA). As a boy he would go to school, come back, train on the mat and then complete homework at night,” Dayanand said.

Training at a private akhada in his village, Sujeet followed a strict routine from a young age. He would attend school, return home for wrestling practice and finish his homework later in the evening.

That discipline eventually helped him make his mark at the national and international level.


Olympic Disqualification

Sujeet’s journey has also had its share of setbacks. In 2024, he and fellow Indian wrestler Deepak Punia were stranded in Dubai after flash floods and heavy rainfall disrupted their travel. Their flights to Bishkek for the Asian Olympic Qualifier were affected.

Although the wrestlers eventually reached the venue, they were not allowed to compete in the morning weigh-ins, effectively ending their hopes of qualifying for the Paris Olympics.

Sujeet’s final chance came in a bronze-medal bout against USA’s Zain Retherford. He started strongly with a 2-0 lead but eventually lost the bout, bringing his Olympic qualification campaign to an end.

“The heartbreak of not qualifying for the Paris Olympics became my motivation,” Sujeet told The Indian Express in 2025.

 
 
 
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Sujeet’s Journey To Asian Gold

Missing out on the Paris Olympics became a major turning point in Sujeet’s career. He continued to train and compete, winning medals at the national and international levels, including at the U23 World Championships and Asian Championships.

His performances eventually helped him rise to the top of the men’s 65kg freestyle rankings.

Now, after years of training, setbacks, and hard work, Sujeet has added an Asian Games gold medal to his growing list of achievements. His 10-9 comeback in the final, after trailing 2-9, was a fitting reflection of the determination that has defined his journey.

Also Read: Asian Games 2026: Aman Sehrawat Defeats Chong Song Han To Clinch Men’s 57kg Wrestling Gold

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