Ulaanbaatar Open 2026 Wrestling: Sunil, Nitesh strike gold as India open campaign on a high
Ulaanbaatar, June 4
Asian Games-bound Indian wrestlers Sunil Kumar and Nitesh Kumar clinched gold medals in their respective weight categories to spearhead India's campaign at the Ulaanbaatar Open Ranking Series wrestling tournament in Mongolia on Thursday.
Former Asian champion Sunil Kumar emerged victorious in the men's Greco-Roman 87kg category, edging past Kyrgyzstan's Azat Salidinov 4-3 in a closely-fought final. The gold marked Sunil's first Ranking Series medal since winning the title at the Zouhaier Sghaier tournament in Tunisia in 2022, according to Olympics.com.
Sunil began his campaign with a walkover against Mongolia's Turbold Ganbold in the quarter-finals before overcoming Venezuela's two-time Pan American champion Luis Eduardo Avendano Rojas, 3-3 on criteria in the semi-finals.
In the men's Greco-Roman 97kg division, Asian Championships silver medallist Nitesh Kumar secured the top podium spot after defeating Kazakhstan's Nurassyl Amanaly 13-9 in an attacking final.
Nitesh had earlier registered a 3-1 win over Venezuela's Juan Leonardo Diaz Blanco in the quarter-finals and followed it up with a 4-1 victory against Mongolia's Gankhuyag Ganbaatar in the semi-finals.
The gold medal was Nitesh's second consecutive podium finish at the Ulaanbaatar Open after he won silver at last year's edition.
The duo was among six Asian Games-qualified Indian wrestlers competing at the tournament, which is the third event of the 2026 United World Wrestling Ranking Series season.
India's Greco-Roman contingent, however, had mixed fortunes otherwise. Aman, competing in the 77kg category, narrowly missed out on a medal, while Asian Championships silver medallist Lalit Sehrawat (55kg), Karanjit Singh and Sachin Sahrawat (both 67kg), Anil (72kg) and Ankit Gulia (77kg) finished outside the podium places.
India's challenge at the tournament will continue over the next three days with women's and freestyle events. Asian Games-bound wrestlers Mansi Ahlawat (62kg), Priya Malik (76kg) and Mukul Dahiya (86kg freestyle) are set to begin their campaigns later in the competition.
The Ulaanbaatar Open, being held from June 4 to 7, is the third stop on the United World Wrestling Ranking Series calendar this season.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Nitesh Kumar scoring 13 points in a final is just phenomenal! Back-to-back podiums in Mongolia shows he's peaking at the right time. But we need to see more consistency from the other Greco-Roman wrestlers—many missed out on medals. Betting on our women wrestlers next!
Great to see our wrestlers doing well abroad. But honestly, the Greco-Roman team still has a long way to go. Sunil and Nitesh are carrying the flag, but Lalit Sehrawat and others falling outside podium places is a concern. Let's hope the women's team shines too!
Watching Sunil's walkover in quarters and then beating a Pan American champion in semis—what a journey! 🏆 These ranking series tournaments are crucial for our wrestlers to sharpen their skills. Kudos to the whole contingent! #IndianWrestling
Good start to the campaign, but I'm disappointed that Aman in 77kg missed out by a whisker. Also, where is the depth? Only two golds from Greco-Roman. Our strength has always been freestyle—let's see what Mansi, Priya, and Mukul can do. The real test is Asian Games!
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