At the 2026 Asian Games, Indian wrestler Sujeet Kalkal demonstrated an impressive comeback in the final of the men's 65 kg freestyle wrestling category, making the match unforgettable. On October 2 (Friday), in the bout against Abdulmajid Kudiev from Tajikistan, Sujeet found himself trailing by a score of 2-9 with less than two minutes remaining in the match.
However, the Indian athlete did not give up and consecutively executed four takedowns, which allowed him to increase the score to 10-9 and win the gold medal. Union Minister of Sports Mansukh Mandaviya reacted to this brilliant victory by Sujeet Kalkal. Mandaviya shared excerpts of Sujeet's decisive moments on his official X account, specifically highlighting the comeback during which Sujeet managed to compensate for a seven-point deficit.
In the final, Kudiev was putting pressure on Sujeet, causing the Indian wrestler to fall behind by 2-9 at one point. At that time, there were less than two minutes left in the fight, and time was steadily running out. Following this, the Indian athlete changed tactics, began to attack actively, and scored points through takedowns.
Kudiev's advantage gradually diminished, and Sujeet was able to get back into the game. In the final moments of the match, another takedown allowed Sujeet to bring the score to 10-9, thus gaining the advantage. He maintained this lead until the end of the remaining time and won the gold medal.
Sujeet Kalkal's participation in the Asian Games was successful even before the final. Before the final bout, he reached the semi-finals, defeating the reigning Olympic champion from Japan, Kotaro Kiyuku, to qualify for the concluding match. Then, in the final, he had to face a difficult challenge against Kudiev. Despite the initial deficit, Sujeet maintained his composure under pressure and demonstrated aggressive play in the final minutes.