Another medal. Another moment of grit on the mat. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath congratulated wrestler Deepak Punia on Saturday, October 3, 2026, after Punia claimed a bronze medal in the Men's Freestyle 97kg category at the Asian Games 2026 — adding another chapter to India's storied wrestling legacy on the continental stage.

CM Yogi's post captured the moment with characteristic warmth: 'Another fighting performance on the wrestling mat! Congratulations to Deepak Punia on winning the Bronze Medal in the Men's Freestyle 97kg event at the Asian Games 2026. Deepak held his ground under pressure to secure his place on the podium and add another medal to India's Wrestling campaign.'

Punia holds his nerve when it counted

The 97kg freestyle bracket is one of wrestling's most physically demanding weight classes — a category where stamina and composure under late-bout pressure often separate the podium finishers from the rest. Punia, who has built a reputation as one of India's most tenacious grapplers on the international circuit, delivered exactly that: a performance defined by resilience rather than flash.

The bronze adds to what has been a meaningful Asian Games 2026 wrestling campaign for India, with CM Yogi noting that 'India's wrestlers continue to make the nation proud on the Asian stage.' That sentiment reflects a broader national investment in the sport — wrestling has long been one of India's most reliable medal pipelines at both the Asian and Commonwealth levels.

Wrestling's place at the heart of India's Games ambitions

India's wrestling programme has consistently punched above its weight at Asian Games editions, producing podium finishes across freestyle, Greco-Roman, and women's categories. A bronze in the 97kg men's freestyle event is a competitive result in a weight class where Central Asian and East Asian nations field formidable athletes. Holding the podium in that company is no small feat.

For CM Yogi — himself the head of the Gorakhnath Math in Gorakhpur, a region with deep roots in traditional Indian wrestling culture — the congratulation carries a cultural resonance beyond politics. The akhada (wrestling pit) tradition of the Purvanchal belt makes wrestling victories a point of particular pride in Uttar Pradesh.

India's medal count at the 2026 Asian Games continues to build. Deepak Punia's bronze is a reminder that on the mat, as in competition, it is the fighters who stay in the bout longest who walk away with the prize. Jai Hind.