Nitesh Siwach Reaches Asian Games Wrestling Final, Mansi Ahlawat to Fight for Bronze

India’s wrestling campaign at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 produced a major breakthrough on Thursday as Nitesh Siwach stormed into the men’s Greco-Roman 97kg final, becoming the country’s first wrestling finalist at these Games.

Nitesh delivered a commanding 9-0 semifinal victory over Mongolia’s Gankhuyag Ganbaatar, the Hangzhou Asian Games bronze medallist, to guarantee India its second wrestling medal of the competition.

At the other end of the spectrum, Mansi Ahlawat’s bid for a place in the women’s 62kg final ended against Japan’s two-time world champion Nonoka Ozaki. Mansi lost 0-6 but remains in contention for bronze through the repechage. The contrasting results made for a significant morning on the wrestling mats, with Nitesh producing one of India's strongest performances of the Games and Mansi continuing her medal challenge despite a difficult semifinal.

Nitesh entered his semifinal against Gankhuyag Ganbaatar after already negotiating a demanding quarterfinal. The Indian had defeated Turkmenistan’s Amanberdi Agamammedov 7-1 in the quarterfinals to set up the meeting with the Mongolian. Against Ganbaatar, Nitesh was even more decisive.

The Indian won by Victory by Technical Superiority (VSU), completing a 9-0 victory and ending the contest without allowing his opponent onto the scoreboard. Ganbaatar had won bronze at the Hangzhou Asian Games, making the result particularly significant for Nitesh. The Indian’s performance was not simply a narrow semifinal escape; he controlled the bout sufficiently to finish with a nine-point margin.

The victory guarantees Nitesh a medal and puts him into the gold-medal bout later on Thursday. Nitesh had already won silver at the Asian Championships earlier this year, and his progression to the Asian Games final now gives him an opportunity to add an Asian Games title to his international record.

India’s Greco-Roman Gold Wait

Nitesh’s final appearance carries historical significance for Indian Greco-Roman wrestling. India has not won a gold medal in Greco-Roman wrestling at the Asian Games since 1962.

That long wait means the 97kg final will carry significance beyond Nitesh’s individual campaign. His semifinal victory has already guaranteed a medal; the final will determine whether India can finally return to the top of the Asian Games podium in the discipline. His opponent in the final will be either Iran’s Mehdi Balihamzehdeh or Japan’s Yuri Nakazato.

The final therefore represents another major test after a tournament in which Nitesh has already demonstrated his ability to win under knockout pressure.

Mansi Ahlawat’s route to the podium has been more complicated. The Indian began her campaign with a 6-1 victory over Kazakhstan’s Irina Kuznetsova in the qualification round.

Mansi built an early advantage after being awarded a point for an illegal grip. She then added points in the second period before eventually completing the victory with a takedown in the closing stages. Her challenge intensified in the quarterfinal against South Korea’s Subeen Jo. Mansi produced another strong performance, taking a 5-0 lead before securing victory by fall. That win put her into the semifinal against one of the most accomplished wrestlers in the category, Japan’s Nonoka Ozaki.

Ozaki is a two-time world champion and quickly demonstrated why she posed such a difficult test.

Ozaki opened the semifinal with an early takedown to establish a 2-0 advantage. The Japanese wrestler then caught Mansi’s left leg and executed another takedown, extending the lead to 4-0. Mansi defended well enough to prevent the deficit from growing further before the end of the first period, but she struggled to find an opening against Ozaki’s defensive structure.

The second period followed a similar pattern. Mansi attempted to create opportunities, including leg grabs, but Ozaki repeatedly avoided the Indian’s attacks.

Another leg takedown eventually extended Ozaki’s lead to 6-0. Mansi continued looking for a route back into the contest, but Ozaki's defence remained disciplined and the Japanese wrestler protected her advantage until the final whistle. The result was a 6-0 defeat for Mansi.

Although the semifinal loss ended Mansi’s route to the gold-medal bout, her Asian Games campaign is not over. She moves into the repechage and will fight for a bronze medal later on Thursday. That gives India another opportunity to add to its wrestling medal tally alongside Nitesh's guaranteed silver or gold.

The day's results also underline the contrasting paths taken by the two Indian wrestlers. Nitesh has moved through the 97kg bracket with increasingly dominant performances, culminating in a 9-0 semifinal victory. Mansi, meanwhile, has already won two matches and remains within one victory of a podium finish despite losing to one of the world's leading wrestlers in her semifinal.

For Indian wrestling, the biggest development is undoubtedly Nitesh’s place in the final. His victory over Ganbaatar makes him the first Indian wrestling finalist at the Aichi-Nagoya Games and guarantees the country a second wrestling medal. More importantly, the 97kg wrestler now has a chance to end India's long wait for a Greco-Roman Asian Games gold.

Mansi will return to the mat seeking bronze, while Nitesh prepares for the biggest bout of his tournament. One Indian wrestler is already guaranteed a place on the podium. By the end of Thursday, India could have two wrestling medals from the day’s Greco-Roman and women’s competition.