India’s wrestlers win six medals as freestyle gold drought ends

India won six wrestling medals at the Asian Games in Nagoya, including two men’s freestyle golds that ended a 48-year wait for the country to produce two freestyle champions at the same Games. Aman Sehrawat secured the second gold on Saturday by defeating North Korea’s reigning world champion Chong Song Han 11-7 in the men’s 57kg final. The victory improved on the bronze Aman won at the Hangzhou Asian Games and added a continental title to his Olympic bronze from Paris 2024.

Aman led 6-1 after an activity-clock point, a takedown and a left-leg attack. Han then scored three consecutive moves to move 7-6 ahead. Aman responded with two takedowns.

Han’s challenge against the final point awarded to the Indian was unsuccessful, confirming the 11-7 result. Sujeet Kalkal had won India’s first men’s freestyle gold of the Games a day earlier in the 65kg category. He recovered from a 2-9 deficit against Tajikistan’s Abdulmazhid Kudiev to score eight unanswered points and win 10-9.

The two victories gave India its first men’s freestyle gold double at an Asian Games since 1978. India finished the wrestling campaign with two golds, two silvers and two bronzes, after failing to win a wrestling gold at Hangzhou in 2023. Nitesh Siwach won silver in men’s Greco-Roman 97kg after losing 4-0 to Japan’s Yuri Nakazato.

He became the first Indian wrestler to contest a standalone Greco-Roman gold-medal bout at the Asian Games, while his medal was India’s first in the style at the Games since 1962. Antim Panghal also won silver in women’s 53kg, losing 1-9 to Japan’s Mei Miyooka. Deepak Punia took bronze in men’s 97kg after beating Mongolia’s Gankhuyang Ganbataar 2-1.

Sagar Jaglan lost the men’s 74kg bronze-medal bout to Kazakhstan’s Nurkozha Kaipanov, while Manisha Bhanwala’s campaign ended in the women’s 57kg quarterfinals after defeat by Japan’s Olympic champion Akari Fujinami.