World champion defeated, Olympic champion dethroned at Asian Games: Wrestlers dream of hearing India’s national anthem at LA Olympics

Indian gold medal wrestlers – Sujeet Kalkal and Aman Sehrawat. NEW DELHI: Indian wrestlers arrived in Aichi-Nagoya with questions over injuries, form and confidence. They left with six medals – two gold, two silver and two bronze – and a much bigger goal already on their minds: the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.Aman Sehrawat and Sujeet Kalkal won gold while Nitesh Siwach and Antim Panghal won silver and Deepak Punia and Sunil Kumar added bronze.The campaign was also characterized by two major statements. Sehrawat defeated reigning world champion Han Chong Song in the men’s 57kg freestyle final, while Kalkal defeated Olympic champion Kotaro Kiyook on his way to gold in the 65kg category.For the Indian wrestlers, however, Nagoya was not so much about looking back at what they had achieved, but rather building towards what was to come next.

Sehrawat turns a difficult phase into gold

For Sehrawat, the gold was the culmination of one of the toughest phases of his young career.The 23-year-old won bronze at the Paris Olympics but subsequently struggled with motivation in 2025. A persistent stomach ailment also forced him to miss important competitions.In Nagoya, however, Sehrawat rediscovered his best. He beat reigning world champion Han Chong Song 11-7 in the final and recovered after the North Korean turned a 1-6 deficit into a 7-6 lead.It was Sehrawat’s first Asian Games gold after bronze in Hangzhou.

Safe Sehrawat

“Ups and downs, injuries repeat like this. This phase also comes but I had faith in my heart. We should never give up and I did the same. I won a gold medal today at the Games. The future goal is the Olympics,” Sehrawat said after returning to India.He said the next goal was to replicate the success on the biggest stage.“We won the gold for the country. The plan for the future is exactly the same — we will win the gold for the country and prepare accordingly. Thanks to all the compatriots, it was their prayers that worked in the matches,” he added.Then came a statement that perhaps best summed up the mood of the Indian wrestling contingent.“…now we will do better in the future. The whole nation is giving us love. Now our national anthem will be played at the LA Olympics.”

Kalkal is chasing gold with Olympic-sized ambitions

If Sehrawat’s gold was a comeback story, Kalkal’s was a lesson in refusing to give up.The world number two entered this season’s Asian Games undefeated and lived up to his billing in the men’s 65kg freestyle category.Kalkal beat Japan’s Olympic champion Kiyook and Iran’s Abbas Ebrahimzadehsavadkouhi before the final. Against Abdulmazhid Kudiev of Tajikistan in the final, he looked headed for defeat after trailing 2-9.Instead, he produced a stunning late comeback to win 10-9.

India’s Sujeet Kalkal, right, competes with Tajikistan’s Abdulmazhid Kudiev in the Asian Games final. (PTI Photo)

The win restored India’s hold on the Asian Games 65kg title, a category in which Yogeshwar Dutt and Bajrang Punia had earlier won gold.“Whatever fight I put up, it paid off. The final match was tough, but I was only thinking about winning then,” said Kalkal.His sights are already firmly set on Los Angeles.“Now we will train more, and if everything goes well, we will also win gold at the Olympics. The training for the Olympics has already started,” added Kalkal.

From selling milk to the historic Greco-Roman final

Nitesh Siwach’s silver produced perhaps the most remarkable story of six Indian medalists.A serious knee injury during his teenage years sidelined him from wrestling for over 18 months. During this period he helped his family with dairy and sold milk in Panipat.His comeback culminated in a historic Asian Games final appearance in the men’s Greco-Roman 97kg category — India’s first in the weight category in 64 years.Siwach ended up losing 0-4 to Japan’s Yuri Nakazato, but returned home with a silver medal and a clear Olympic goal.

Nitesh Siwach (Image credit: X)

“I feel great. It’s the first time I’ve received such respect and honor. It’s the first time I’ve experienced such a great welcome and I’m very happy,” he said. “I was aiming for the gold. I didn’t win the gold but I secured the silver medal and I’m very happy about it. Considering it was my first Asian Games, I’m happy with the silver.”Siwach also believes that Indian Greco-Roman wrestlers can make their presence felt in Los Angeles.“People said we won’t get medals in Greco-Roman, but we will continue to excel. We will bring medals from the Los Angeles Olympics,” he said.His personal goal is even clearer.“I made some mistakes and that’s why I had to settle for silver. My goal for the future is to win gold at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 and I will work extremely hard for that,” he added.He has already started the preparation.“My preparation for the Olympics has already started, since the day I won the medal. I have to bring the gold to the Olympics,” said Siwach.

Punia is fighting in a new weight category

Deepak Punia’s bronze was another product of perseverance.The 2019 World Championships silver medalist competed at 86kg and 92kg before moving to 97kg this year after a muscle injury.Despite struggling with the changing weight classes, Punia earned selection for the Asian Games, defeating Mongolia’s Gankhuyag Ganbaatar 2-1 in the bronze medal match.

Deepak Punia (MY photo)

“Winning a medal was quite challenging for me as I used to compete in the 86kg category but this time I competed in the 97kg category. There were many challenges and my hope and aim was to win a gold medal. But I had to settle for bronze,” said Punia.The experience helped him cope with the pressure.“I’ve been playing for a long time, so there’s pressure, there’s pressure on every athlete. But I understood how I had to handle that pressure. In my mind, it was just about giving my best. It wasn’t like I had to put myself under pressure. I just had to give my 100 percent and I did,” he said.

Panghal improves Hangzhou, Kumar makes history

Antim Panghal also upgraded her bronze medal in Hangzhou to silver in the women’s 53kg category.In the final, she lost 1-9 to Japan’s Moe Kiyoka after the coaches tried to keep her calm and confident before the competition.“This is the second time I have won a medal. But I thought I have to be the first, but I couldn’t be the first. I will try to be better than this in the future,” Panghal said.Meanwhile, Sunil Kumar returned to the podium after knee surgery to win bronze in the men’s 87kg Greco-Roman style. He defeated Callum Johnston Roberts of the Philippines 9-0 by technical superiority to become the first Indian Greco-Roman wrestler to win two Asian Games medals after bronze in Hangzhou.“I am very happy and want to thank all my countrymen. May your blessings and support continue to be with me,” Kumar said.

Antim Panghal

Six medals, one bigger dream

Six medals tell only part of the Indian wrestling story in Nagoya.Sehrawat went through a difficult phase to beat the reigning world champion. Kalkal stunned the Olympic champion before mounting a remarkable return to gold. Siwach overcame a serious teenage injury and years of struggle to reach the historic Greco-Roman final. Punia switched weight classes and still made it to the podium, while Panghal improved her medal color and Kumar returned from knee surgery to make history.But there was an even bigger message behind the six medals – Indian wrestlers are already looking towards Los Angeles.Their words after returning home reflected an ambition that goes far beyond Nagoya: to turn that success into Olympic gold in 2028.