“Desh ke liye gold jeetna hello mere liye diwali hai hai,” mentioned Asian Video games 2026 gold medallist wrestler Sujeet Kalkal when requested how he’ll have fun the competition of sunshine after wrapping up his marketing campaign on the Wrestling World Championships, to be held later this month from October 24 to November 1, in Kazakhstan. Sujeet, reigning Asian champion, first defeated Olympic champion Kotaro Kiyooka of Japan within the 65 kg freestyle last on the Asian Video games after which received the gold after mounting a sensational comeback from 2-9 all the way down to beat Tajikistan’s Abdulmazhid Kudiev 10-9.
After his success within the continental showpiece, Sujeet is eyeing a gold within the UWW World Championships in Astana, which can conclude every week earlier than Diwali. Throughout a press convention organised by the Sports activities Authority of India (SAI) on Wednesday, the 23-year-old wrestler from Imlota village within the Charkhi Dadri district of Haryana, adorning the clam demenour, mentioned successful the gold for the nation was like a Diwali to him.
“Profitable a gold medal for the nation on the Asian Video games—that itself is Diwali for me. I have not even been dwelling for Holi or Diwali but as a result of there may be all the time one competitors or one other. My father says that in the event you deliver dwelling gold, that in itself is Diwali and Holi. This time too, there shall be a contest round Diwali, and if I win gold, that shall be Diwali for me,” Sujeet mentioned.
Within the 65kg last on the Asian Video games, Sujeet was trailing 2-9 on the finish of the primary interval. With one minute and 40 seconds remaining within the gold medal bout, the Indian launched a rare fightback to cut back the deficit to 9-8 earlier than one other two-point takedown to grab the lead and clinch the gold medal.
Talking about his thrilling turnaround, Sujeet mentioned, “I could not management the ultimate bout to start with as a result of I could not heat up correctly at the moment. After that, I established grip within the second interval, and each assault I tried was profitable. By the tip of the match, I had lined all of the factors.”
Requested about his preparation for the World Championships and the way the Asian Video games gold medal win will enhance his confidence, Sujeet mentioned the UWW Worlds is more durable than the Asian Video games and Olympics as effectively, and he won’t be following any particular plan for his preparations however shall be engaged on the ‘errors’ from the previous.
“It is a essential competitors, and it may be even more durable than the Olympics. We do not do any particular preparation. We simply work on the errors made in earlier competitions in order that they don’t seem to be repeated within the upcoming ones,” he mentioned.
Sujeet, who trains at SAI Sonepat, had coaching publicity in Russia and Armenia earlier than the Asian Video games to organize for the continental spectacle and world championships as effectively.
Sharing his expertise from the overseas publicity, Sujeet mentioned, “To start with, due to TOPS, SAI and WFI. Due to them, we get overseas exposures. Coaching performs a very powerful position within the medals we win. There have been champions wrestlers in Russia; World Championship, Asian Video games, and Olympic medallists had been there, so there was rather a lot to study, and we additionally competed there. It was an awesome expertise.”
(Apart from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is printed from a syndicated feed.)
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