Uzbekistan wrestler Aytjan Khalmakhanov secured his maiden gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games after defeating Japan's Kyotaro Sogabe in a bloody, hard-fought final. Following the dramatic 3-2 victory, his coach went viral for celebrating by hoisting the exhausted 20-year-old champion and executing a full-blown body slam on the mat.
Uzbekistan wrestler Aytjan Khalmakhanov’s coach stole the spotlight following his disciple’s gold medal win in the men’s 67kg Greco-Roman at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya on Wednesday, September 30.
Aytjan Khalmakhanov defeated Kyotaro Sogabe of Japan 3-2 in the final to take home his maiden Asian Games gold medal, as well as Uzbekistan’s first gold medal in wrestling at the ongoing edition of the quadrennial multi-sport event in Japan. Overall, Uzbekistan won three medals in wrestling, including a silver and a bronze.
Kazakhstan’s Meirzhan Shermakhanbet and Razzak Beishekeev of Kyrgyzstan settled for bronze medals after losing their semifinals to Kyotaro Sogabe and Aytjan Khalmakhanov, respectively.
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Khalmakhanov’s Coach Wild Celebration Goes Viral
As Aytjan Khalmakhanov secured his maiden Asian Games gold medal despite facing a tough challenge from Japan’s Kyotaro Sogabe, his coach rushed onto the mat to celebrate the historic triumph.
The Uzbekistan wrestler suffered an injury on his forehead, sustained in his previous match, and had it plastered his forehead up, but yet he was bleeding throughout his fight against Japan’s Kyotaro Sogabe. Khalmakhanov managed to overcome his tough battle to secure a dramatic 3-2 victory, sealing his status as the new Asian Games champion in dramatic fashion.
What caught the attention of the spectators was his coach’s wild celebration after the gold medal win. Soon after the final whistle, Aytjan Khalmakhanov’s coach ran straight onto the mat, grabbed his exhausted fighter in a fit of absolute euphoria, and hoisted him up before executing a full-blown body slam that sent social media into an absolute frenzy.
It has been a tradition among wrestlers and their coaches to celebrate major victories with exuberant embraces and lifts, making the emotional bond between them a memorable part of the sport.
Since Aytjan Khalmakhanov was battling a forehead injury and bleeding during the final, the coach’s emotional celebration appeared even more dramatic, as he lifted his exhausted fighter off the mat moments after the hard-fought victory.
Who is Aytjan Khalmakhanov?
Aytjan Khalmakhanov hails from Uzbekistan and is of Kazakh ethnicity. Born on January 11, 2006, the Greco-Roman wrestler has already established himself on the international stage, winning world and Asian titles before his Asian Games campaign.
Khalmakhanov was shot to international fame when he won the gold medal at the Asian Wrestling Championships, followed by his maiden World Championship crown and the World U20 Championships in 2025. That year, the Uzbek wrestler won the gold medal at the Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Aytjan Khalmakhanov also won the gold and bronze at the World U17 Championships in 2022 and 2023, respectively, before continuing his meteoric rise on the senior circuit to cement his legacy as one of the most exciting young talents in international wrestling.
Now, Khalmakhanov’s maiden Asian Games gold medal adds another major achievement to his growing list of international honours, further underlining his rapid rise in Greco-Roman wrestling at just 20 years of age.
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