Sujeet, Abhimanyou and Sandeep to fight for gold as India’s medal tally crosses double digits
Punjab Newsline,Sports:
India delivered a strong performance at the Asian Wrestling Championships 2026 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, with wrestler Meenakshi Goyat clinching a silver medal in the women’s 53kg category and three men advancing to the gold medal bouts in freestyle wrestling.
Meenakshi, India’s biggest gold medal hope of the day, showcased remarkable grit throughout the tournament. The 25-year-old had made an impressive comeback in the semi-finals but fell short in the final, going down 10-0 against China’s Jin Zhang to settle for silver. Despite the loss, her effort added a valuable medal to India’s tally.
India’s women wrestlers continued to shine as Monika (65kg) and Harshita (72kg) secured bronze medals with dominant performances. Monika outclassed South Korea’s Hanbit Lee 9-0, while Harshita defeated Sevinchoy Polvonova 5-0, pushing India’s overall medal count into double figures with three silver and seven bronze medals.
In men’s freestyle wrestling, India witnessed a major boost as three wrestlers booked their spots in the finals. U-23 world champion Sujeet (65kg) defeated Abdulmazhid Kudiev of Tajikistan 7-2 in the semi-final and will now face Uzbekistan’s Umidjon Jalolov in a highly anticipated clash.
Abhimanyou (70kg) pulled off a stunning upset by defeating defending champion Ernazar Akmataliev of Kyrgyzstan 6-3 and will meet Mongolia’s Tumur Ochir in the final. Meanwhile, Sandeep Mann (79kg) displayed complete dominance, thrashing Tajikistan’s Somonjon Ikromov 10-0 to set up a gold medal bout against Japan’s Keyvan Gharehdaghi.
Elsewhere, Vicky (97kg) and Ankush (57kg) will compete for bronze medals after falling short in their respective semi-final and quarter-final bouts.
India now eyes multiple gold medals as its wrestlers gear up for crucial finals, keeping hopes high for a strong finish.