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Sujeet Kalkal Secures Asian Games Gold, Beats Olympic Champion in Thrilling Final
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Moneycontrol•02-10-2026, 16:10
Sujeet Kalkal Secures Asian Games Gold, Beats Olympic Champion in Thrilling Final
- •Sujeet Kalkal clinched the Asian Games gold in the men's 65kg category, overcoming an Olympic champion and erasing a 2-9 deficit in the final to win 10-9.
- •He scored eight consecutive points against Tajikistan's Abdulmazhid Kudiev in the final, demonstrating tremendous speed and technical skills.
- •Kalkal defeated Japanese Olympic champion Kotaro Kiyooka in the semifinal on criteria after a 3-3 tie.
- •This marks Sujeet's first Asian Games gold, adding to his U-23 World Championships, Asian Championships, Zagreb Open, and Tirana titles in the past year.
- •His dominant performance strengthens his position as a top contender for an Olympic medal in 2028.
Key Questions Answered
Sujeet Kalkal overcame a massive 2-9 deficit in the final against Tajikistan's Abdulmazhid Kudiev, scoring eight consecutive points to secure a thrilling 10-9 victory and claim the Asian Games gold in Nagoya.
En route to the gold medal, Sujeet defeated Afghanistan's Sayed Omar Zazai and Iran's Abbas Ebrahimzadehsavadkouhi by technical superiority, and edged past Japanese Olympic champion Kotaro Kiyooka 3-3 on criteria in the semifinal.
Dipanshi Phogat advanced to the bronze play-off in the women's 50kg category via the repechage round after a defeat against Japan's Yui Susaki.
