Lalit bagged India's first medal, a silver in the 55kg Greco-Roman, at the Senior Asian Wrestling Championships. Nitesh stormed into the 97kg final, while former champion Sunil Kumar added a bronze to India's tally on a fruitful day.
Lalit's Silver, Sunil's Bronze Mark a Fruitful Day
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 Settles for Silver in 55kg Final
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.
Sunil Kumar Fights Back for Bronze
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.
Nitesh Enters 97kg Final
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.
Dominant Semi-Final Performance
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.
More Medal Hopes for India
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.
Heartbreak for Aman in Bronze Bout
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 in Repechage
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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