Sujeet defeats Japanese Olympic champion Kiyooka in Japan to reach 65kg wrestling final

Indian wrestler Sujeet Kalkal stunned reigning Olympic champion Kotaro Kiyooka of Japan in their men's freestyle 65 kg category semi-final at the Asian Games 2026, securing his spot in the final. The match was a fiercely technical affair, with both wrestlers defending fiercely throughout. It was in the closing moments that Sujeet emerged victorious, claiming the bout 3-3.

His coach, Kuldeep Singh Sehrawat, praised his performance, calling it "the biggest win of his career." Entering the Asian Games as one of India's top medal prospects, Sujeet's win puts him in contention for the 65 kg gold medal, which had not been claimed by an Indian wrestler since 2022. His previous gold medals came in 2014 and 2018, but Bajrang Punia, who followed in 2018, did not secure a medal at the 2023 Asian Games.

Sujeet will next face Abdulmazhid Kudiev of Tajikistan in the final. The two previously met at the Asian Championships semi-finals, with Sujeet winning 7-2. In his previous matches, Sujeet has shown his resilience, overcoming early deficits to win 13-3 against Omar Zazai of Afghanistan and 10-0 against Abbas Ebrahimzadehssavadkouhi of Iran.

Ranked as the world's number 2 65 kg wrestler, behind only Iranian powerhouse Rahman Amouzadkhalili, Sujeet is poised to bring home a gold medal for India.