Nagoya, October 3 (Daily Kiran) : Indian wrestler Deepak Punia clinched a bronze medal in the men’s freestyle 97 kg category at the Asian Games 2026 in Nagoya on Saturday. He triumphed over Mongolia’s Gankhuu Gankhuyag with a score of 2-1 in a tightly contested match.
Punia, who previously won a silver medal in the men’s 86 kg category at the 2023 Asian Games, showcased a disciplined performance to add another medal to his collection. He started strong, securing two points early and maintaining his lead against Gankhuyag. Despite losing one point in the second round, he held on to his advantage and secured third place, contributing to India’s growing medal tally in wrestling.
The Indian wrestler began his campaign with an impressive 12-2 victory over China’s Zhou Junpeng. He advanced to the semifinals without competing in the quarterfinals, as Hong Kong’s Lee Wai Fung Vincent did not show up for their match.
In the semifinals, Punia faced Uzbekistan’s Sherzod Poyonov. After a fierce battle, he narrowly lost 8-9, which set him up for the bronze medal match against Gankhuyag. Punia made a remarkable comeback, defeating Gankhuyag and finishing his competition on the podium.
This bronze medal is significant as it marks the fifth medal won by an Indian wrestler in the men’s freestyle 97 kg category at the Asian Games. The first medal in this category was achieved by Maruti Mane, who won gold at the 1962 Asian Games. Ganpat Andalkar followed with a silver in the same edition, while Vishwanath Singh secured another silver in 1966. Bhim Singh also won a bronze in the 1966 Games, making this day a memorable one for Indian men’s freestyle wrestling.
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