Brief
Sujeet Kalkal stages last‑second comeback to win Asian Games wrestling gold for India
Kalkal turned a 2‑9 hole into a 10‑9 victory with 11 seconds left, delivering India's first wrestling gold since 2018.
By Felo News Desk · Published
India's 23‑year‑old wrestler Sujeet Kalkal secured the men’s 65kg freestyle gold at the Asian Games in Nagoya after a dramatic comeback in the final against Tajikistan’s Abdulmazhid Kudiev. With 1 minute 40 seconds remaining, Kalkal trailed 2‑9, but a series of takedowns brought the score to 6‑9, then 8‑9, and finally 10‑9 with just 11 seconds left, clinching the win.
The victory followed a semi‑final where Kalkal edged Japan’s Olympic champion Kotaro Kiyooka 3‑3 on criteria. His gold ends an eight‑year drought for India in Asian Games wrestling, the last gold having been won in 2018 by Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat.
Key facts
- Sujeet Kalkal won the men’s 65kg freestyle gold at the Asian Games. (gulfnews.com)
- He trailed 2‑9 with 1:40 left before scoring four successive takedowns. (gulfnews.com)
- The final score was 10‑9 after 11 seconds remained. (gulfnews.com)
- Kalkal had earlier defeated Japan’s Olympic champion Kotaro Kiyooka in the semi‑final. (gulfnews.com)
Sources
- [1] gulfnews.com
- [2] news18.com
