India’s Sujeet Kalkal produced one of the most dramatic comebacks of the 2026 Asian Games on Friday, October 2, overcoming a 2-9 deficit to defeat Tajikistan’s Abdulmazhid Kudiev 10-9 in the men’s 65kg freestyle wrestling final.
For Sujeet, the gold medal won and India got the first wrestling gold medal of the 2026 Asian Games. The Haryana wrestler refused to surrender even though he lost a 7-point lead in the final.
From 2-9 Down to 10-9
Kudiev seemed to be in control at 9-2 after winning the first round. Sujeet, however, changed the momentum in the closing stages with a series of successful takedowns.
The Indian reduced the deficit to 6-9 and then moved within one point at 8-9. With the clock winding down, Sujeet got another important takedown to move ahead 10-9.
He then held on to his narrow advantage to complete an extraordinary comeback and claim the Asian Games title. Sujeet scored eight consecutive points during the turnaround, PTI told us.
Victory After Beating Olympic Champion.
Sujeet’s path to the gold medal was challenging even before the final.
Earlier in the competition, he defeated Japan’s reigning Olympic champion Kotaro Kiyooka in the 65kg semi-final. The match ended 3-3 and Sujeet won on criteria for the higher-value move.
That victory set up the final against Kudiev, who had also faced Sujeet earlier in 2026. Sujeet had beaten the Tajik wrestler at the Asian Championships earlier this year.
India’s wrestling gold wait ends.
The gold medal is significant for Indian wrestling. Sujeet became the third Indian to win the men’s 65kg freestyle title at the Asian Games, following Yogeshwar Dutt in 2014 and Bajrang Punia in 2018.
India had not won a wrestling gold at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023, and Sujeet’s victory was a huge boost for the country’s wrestling campaign in Nagoya.
Sujeet Kalkal Wins Gold medal for India🔥🔥🔥
— XUnfiltered (@XUnfiltere69061) October 2, 2026
He defeats Tajikistan wrestler in a close bout 10-9 🔥🔥🔥 in his 65 kg category wrestling Final bout
Sujeet loses 9 points early on and then climbs back up to win 10-9
Also Ankush wins gold in his bout against Korean in 80 kg… pic.twitter.com/n9Rl8VZlzn
From Haryana’s Akhada to Asian Games Glory
Sujeet, who comes from Imlota in Haryana, began his wrestling journey at a village akhada. His father, Dayanand Kalkal, a former national-level wrestler, introduced him to the sport.
A move to Sonipat in 2021 saw Sujeet train with more experienced wrestlers and helped him develop. He was in the 65kg category and won the senior Asian Championships title in 2026.
A gold medal to remember.
The final against Kudiev will be remembered for the sheer drama of Sujeet’s comeback. At 2-9 down, the Indian wrestler appeared to be heading towards silver. Instead, he scored eight unanswered points to turn the match around and win 10-9.
Sujeet Kalkal’s Asian Games debut has therefore ended with a gold medal—and one of the tournament’s most remarkable comebacks.
