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Lalit Wins Silver, Sunil Kumar Bronze at Asian Wrestling Championships 2026

Lalit secured India's first medal, a silver, in the 55kg Greco-Roman category at the 2026 Asian Wrestling Championships. Sunil Kumar added a bronze in the 87kg category, marking his second consecutive Asian Championships bronze. Nitesh advanced to the 97kg final, guaranteeing an improvement on his 2025 bronze medal performance. Other Indian wrestlers, including Prince and Sachin Sahrawat, remain in contention for bronze medals in their respective weight classes.

Key Points: India's Lalit Silver, Sunil Kumar Bronze at Asian Wrestling 2026

  • Lalit wins 55kg Greco-Roman silver
  • Sunil Kumar secures 87kg bronze
  • Nitesh reaches 97kg final
  • Prince, Sachin Sahrawat in bronze contention
2 min read

Asian Wrestling Championships 2026: Silver for Lalit, bronze for Sunil Kumar

Lalit clinched silver and Sunil Kumar bronze for India at the 2026 Asian Wrestling Championships in Bishkek. Nitesh advances to 97kg final.

"put up a strong resistance against Ikhtiyor Botirov of Uzbekistan in the final - press release"

New Delhi, April 7

Former U-23 Asian Championships bronze medallist Lalit bagged India's first medal of the 2026 Senior Asian Wrestling Championships in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on Tuesday with a silver medal in the 55kg Greco-Roman category, while Nitesh reached the final of the 97kg Greco-Roman category.

Former champion Sunil Kumar added another bronze medal to his trophy cabinet to make it a fruitful day for the Indian contingent. Lalit, who had knocked off China's Huoying Shi in the semi-finals, put up a strong resistance against Ikhtiyor Botirov of Uzbekistan in the final but could not avoid a 0-9 loss, as per a press release.

In the 87kg bronze medal match, Sunil Kumar fought back after conceding four points in the first round to beat Uzbekistan's Mukhammadkodir Rasulov 5-4 to win his second consecutive bronze medal in the Asian Championships. Earlier, Nitesh ensured that he would improve on his 2025 Asian Championships performance after securing a final spot in the 97kg Greco-Roman category.

The 23-year-old, who had bagged the bronze medal last year, defeated Zegang Wang of China 7-2 in the semi-finals to set up a gold medal clash against defending champion Mohammadhadi Saravi of Iran. In the semi-final, Nitesh made the most of the par Terre (ground position) for passivity given to the Chinese in the first round by scoring six points, which included a four-point throw. He then defended astutely in the second round to win easily.

India will also have a shot at the bronze medal in the 82kg Greco-Roman category with Prince, taking on Didar Ammanazarov of Turkmenistan. The 20-year-old went down 10-0 against Iran's Mohammadamin Hosseini in the semi-finals. However, there was heartbreak for Aman in the 77kg Greco-Roman bronze medal match as he went down 14-15 against South Korea's Yeonghun Noh. Aman fought back from a 7-12 deficit at the end of the first round but fell short by a point.

Sachin Sahrawat (67kg GR) will also have a shot at the bronze medal after he managed to get in the Repechage round and will face China's Ji Leng on Wednesday.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
So proud of the team! Lalit knocking out a Chinese wrestler in the semis is a big deal. Heartbreak for Aman though, losing 14-15 is just cruel. He fought back so well. These athletes put in so much hard work, they deserve all our support.
A
Aditya G
Good haul so far, but we need to convert more finals into gold. Losing 0-9 in the final shows there's a gap at the very top level against wrestlers from Iran and Uzbekistan. The federation must ensure better exposure and high-level training camps.
S
Sarah B
Watching from the US. Incredible resilience from Sunil Kumar to come back and win 5-4! Greco-Roman is so technical. Best of luck to Nitesh in the final against Iran. Hope he can pull off the upset.
K
Karthik V
Baap re! What a close match for Aman. 14-15 loss must be devastating. But kudos to the fighting spirit. Our wrestlers from Haryana and other states are making the nation proud. Jai Hind!
N
Nikhil C
Solid day for Indian wrestling. Medals across weight categories show depth. Hope the media gives these champions as much coverage as cricket sometimes. Their stories are truly inspiring.

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