Nagoya, October 2 (Daily Kiran) : Sujit Kalakal, the Asian Championship gold medalist in freestyle wrestling, has advanced to the finals of the men’s 65 kg category at the Asian Games in Nagoya. He achieved this milestone by overcoming Japan’s Olympic champion Kotaro Kiyuka in a thrilling semifinal match on October 2, 2026.
Kalakal faced a challenging start, trailing 0-2 against Kiyuka. However, he rallied back to secure a 3-3 tie, winning on criteria to claim one of the most significant victories of his career. He will now compete against Tajikistan’s Abdulmajid Kudiyev in the final.
The journey to the semifinals began with a dominant performance against Afghanistan’s Syed Umar Jazai, where Kalakal won 13-3, showcasing his technical superiority. Despite an early point scored by Jazai, Kalakal quickly regained control, executing a series of impressive moves to secure his place in the quarterfinals.
In the quarterfinals, Kalakal continued his winning streak with a decisive 10-0 victory over Abbas Ibrahimzadeh, solidifying his spot against Kiyuka. He opened that match with an arm throw and followed up with multiple scoring techniques.
In the semifinal, Kiyuka initially took a 2-0 lead, but Kalakal responded with two scoring moves to take a 4-2 advantage. After a review, the score adjusted to 3-3, but Kalakal’s earlier moves secured his advancement to the final.
In the men’s 125 kg freestyle category, Ruhal faced a setback, losing 3-8 to Kazakhstan’s under-20 world champion Yedigey Kasimbek in the first round.
On the women’s side, Indian wrestlers Priya Malik and Deepanshi both faced early exits in their competitions. Malik lost to Kyrgyzstan’s world silver medalist Aiperi Medet Kyzy in the 76 kg category. Despite briefly narrowing the score to 2-1, she was ultimately pinned by her opponent.
Meanwhile, Japan’s Uei Susaki, the Tokyo Olympic champion and a favorite, began her campaign for her first Asian Games gold by defeating Deepanshi 11-0. Susaki then swiftly moved to the semifinals, winning against Cambodia’s Samanang Dit in just 44 seconds, before sealing her final spot with a victory over Kazakhstan’s Zhenep Bayanova.
Deepanshi, however, found new hope as she entered the repechage round, earning a chance to compete for a bronze medal against Kazakhstan’s Bayanova after a technical superiority win (10-0) over Cambodia’s Dit in the repechage.
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