Sujeet Kalkal Stuns Olympic Champion Kotaro Kiyooka, Reaches Asian Games 65kg Final

Sujeet Kalkal has produced one of the biggest wrestling stories of the 2026 Asian Games, reaching the men’s freestyle 65kg gold-medal bout after first dismantling Iran’s Abbas Ebrahimzadehsavadkouhi and then eliminating reigning Olympic champion and home favourite Kotaro Kiyooka in a dramatic semifinal.

The Indian wrestler's route to the final has combined attacking aggression with the ability to stay composed when the margins became extremely narrow.

His quarterfinal against Abbas ended in technical superiority, with Sujeet winning 10-0 just 30 seconds into the second period. Hours later, he produced an even bigger statement, defeating Kiyooka 3-3 on the final-point criterion to book his place in the gold-medal bout. Sujeet will face Tajikistan's Abdulmazid Kudiev in the final, scheduled for around 2:46 PM IST.

The quarterfinal against Iran's Abbas was delayed before getting underway, but once the whistle sounded, Sujeet immediately imposed his attacking style. The Indian initially appeared to have secured a four-point move after forcing Abbas onto his shoulder. The Iranian corner challenged the call, however, and the review reduced Sujeet's score to two points.

It did little to change the direction of the contest. Sujeet remained aggressive and alert whenever Abbas attempted to initiate an attack. He quickly turned the Iranian's movements into scoring opportunities, adding two more points through another sequence before completing a takedown.

The score moved to 6-0. Sujeet continued pressing rather than allowing Abbas an opportunity to settle. Another scoring move took him to 8-0 before the end of the opening period.

With Abbas already facing a significant deficit, Sujeet needed only two more points in the second period to end the contest. He did not waste time. The Indian immediately attacked the left leg, completed a single-leg takedown and reached 10-0, ending the quarterfinal through technical superiority.

The performance underlined why Sujeet was being identified as one of India's gold-medal prospects in the 65kg category.

A Much Bigger Challenge Against Kiyooka

The semifinal represented an entirely different test. Waiting for Sujeet was Japan's Kotaro Kiyooka, the reigning Olympic champion and a home favourite. The Indian had little room for error against a wrestler of Kiyooka's calibre. The opening period belonged to the Japanese wrestler. Kiyooka established a 2-0 lead, putting Sujeet under immediate pressure.

But the Indian did not allow the deficit to dictate the remainder of the contest. Sujeet changed the momentum in the second period, scoring three points to turn the match around. The bout ultimately finished 3-3, leaving the result to the final-point criterion. Sujeet had scored the decisive final point.

That was enough to send him into the Asian Games final. The significance of the victory was immediately visible. Kiyooka, who had entered the tournament as the Olympic champion and home favourite, was left face down on the mat for a moment after the final whistle as the result sank in.

For Sujeet, it was a career-defining victory.

Sujeet's performance is particularly notable given the manner in which he has approached the tournament. He entered the competition with a reputation as an attacking wrestler and a former U23 champion. His opening two bouts have now provided two very different demonstrations of that skill set. Against Abbas, the Indian overwhelmed his opponent with constant scoring pressure and ended the match 10-0.

Against Kiyooka, the challenge was not simply to attack. Sujeet had to recover from a 2-0 deficit against an Olympic champion and find enough scoring opportunities to overturn the contest. The semifinal also highlighted the importance of the final scoring sequence. With both wrestlers level at 3-3, there was no room for another mistake. Sujeet's final scoring action ultimately decided the contest.

Sujeet now has one opponent standing between him and Asian Games gold: Abdulmazid Kudiev of Tajikistan. The final is scheduled for around 2:46 PM IST.

The Indian arrives with considerable momentum after two contrasting victories. The 10-0 quarterfinal demonstrated his ability to overwhelm an opponent, while the 3-3 semifinal showed his capacity to survive a much tighter tactical contest against an Olympic champion. The challenge now is to reproduce that intensity without allowing the occasion to dictate his wrestling.

A gold medal would complete an extraordinary day for Sujeet. He has already defeated an Iranian opponent by technical superiority and then eliminated the reigning Olympic champion in a match decided by the final point.

One more victory would turn that run into an Asian Games title.

For now, Sujeet Kalkal stands one bout away from the top of the 65kg podium.