Asian Games 2026: Antim, Aman reach wrestling finals; Sagar, Deepak eye bronze
Synopsis
India's wrestling squad turned the mat at Aichi-Nagoya 2026 into a statement session — Antim Panghal became only the third Indian woman ever to reach an Asian Games wrestling final, while Aman Sehrawat pulled off a stunning 14-8 comeback from 2-6 down to book his gold-medal bout. With four medal opportunities still live on a single afternoon, this could be India's richest wrestling day at an Asian Games.
Key Takeaways
Antim Panghal reached the women's 53kg final at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games , becoming only the third Indian woman wrestler to do so, alongside Geetika Jakhar and Vinesh Phogat .
Aman Sehrawat booked his place in the men's freestyle 57kg final with a 14-8 comeback win, trailing 2-6 at halftime against Tajikistan's Aiaal Belolyubskii .
Sagar Jaglan will contest a bronze medal in the men's freestyle 74kg category after a repechage win over Uzbekistan's Razambek Jamalov 7-3 .
Deepak Punia lost his men's freestyle 97kg semifinal 8-9 to Uzbekistan's Sherzod Poyonov and will compete for bronze.
India has four wrestling medal opportunities — two gold, two bronze — all scheduled for Saturday, 3 October in Nishio .
Antim Panghal and Aman Sehrawat stormed into the gold-medal bouts at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games on Saturday, 3 October, with India securing finals berths in the women's 53kg and men's freestyle 57kg wrestling categories. Meanwhile, Sagar Jaglan and Deepak Punia kept India's medal hopes alive in the bronze-medal bouts of their respective weight classes, giving the country four wrestling medal opportunities on the day.
Antim Panghal's Historic Run
Antim Panghal delivered a dominant performance through the knockout rounds, becoming only the third Indian woman wrestler to reach an Asian Games final. The Hangzhou 2022 bronze medallist opened her campaign with a commanding 9-0 victory over Kazakhstan's Shugyla Omirbek, then followed it up with an equally authoritative 8-0 win over Uzbekistan's Sakibjamal Esbosynova in the quarterfinals.
Her semifinal against China's Jin Zhang required a sharper edge. Antim fell 0-1 behind before reeling off six unanswered points to win 6-1 and seal her place in the title bout. She joins Geetika Jakhar and Vinesh Phogat as the only Indian women to have reached an Asian Games wrestling final. Antim is scheduled to face Japan's Moe Kiyooka in the final at 4:02 pm IST.
Aman Sehrawat's Stunning Comeback
Aman Sehrawat was equally impressive in the men's freestyle 57kg draw, beginning with a 20-9 technical superiority win over Japan's Yamato Ogawa and following it up with a 12-1 quarterfinal victory over Kazakhstan's Nurdanat Aitanov.
His semifinal against Tajikistan's Aiaal Belolyubskii was the bout of the day. Trailing 2-6 at the halfway point, Aman produced a spectacular second period — scoring 12 points while conceding only two — to overturn the deficit and win 14-8. He will now wrestle North Korea's Chong Song Han for the gold medal at 2:44 pm IST. Notably, comebacks of this nature are rare at the Asian Games level, underscoring Aman's mental composure under pressure.
Sagar Jaglan and Deepak Punia Chase Bronze
Sagar Jaglan, competing in the men's freestyle 74kg category, had beaten Mongolia's Tulga Tumur-Ochir 8-1 in the pre-quarterfinals but was stopped by Iran's Yones Emamichoghaei in the quarterfinals, losing 0-10 by technical superiority. He bounced back in the repechage bracket, defeating Uzbekistan's Razambek Jamalov 7-3 to earn a bronze-medal bout.
Deepak Punia, in the men's freestyle 97kg draw, opened with a 12-2 win over China's Zhou Junpeng and advanced to the semifinals via walkover when Hong Kong China's Li Wui Fung Vincent failed to appear for their quarterfinal. His semifinal against Uzbekistan's Sherzod Poyonov went to the wire, with Deepak narrowly losing 8-9. He now contests the bronze medal in a chance to sign off the tournament with a podium finish.
India's Wrestling Picture at Aichi-Nagoya
With two finalists and two bronze-medal contenders, India's wrestling contingent has positioned itself for a potentially strong haul from the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games. This comes amid a broader push by Indian wrestling to establish itself as a multi-medal discipline at continental and global competitions, building on the pipeline of talent that produced Olympic and World Championship medals in recent years.
All four medal bouts are scheduled for Saturday afternoon IST, with the country watching closely for what could be India's most productive wrestling session at an Asian Games in years.
Point of View
But the real test is conversion — reaching finals and bronze bouts is one thing; finishing on the podium is another. Antim's path to the final has been near-flawless, yet a home-nation opponent in Japan's Moe Kiyooka raises the stakes considerably. Aman's second-period fightback against Tajikistan is the kind of resilience that wins gold, but North Korea's Chong Song Han is a different proposition. The broader question for Indian wrestling — which has operated under administrative turbulence for years — is whether these performances can anchor a stable institutional future for the sport.
NationPress
3 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the Indian wrestlers in the finals at the 2026 Asian Games?
Antim Panghal and Aman Sehrawat have qualified for the gold-medal bouts at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games. Antim competes in the women's 53kg final against Japan's Moe Kiyooka, while Aman faces North Korea's Chong Song Han in the men's freestyle 57kg final.
What makes Antim Panghal's final appearance historic?
Antim Panghal is only the third Indian woman wrestler to reach an Asian Games final, joining Geetika Jakhar and Vinesh Phogat in that exclusive group. She also won a bronze medal at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games, making her run at Aichi-Nagoya a step up in achievement.
How did Aman Sehrawat qualify for the final?
Aman Sehrawat came from 2-6 down in the second period of his semifinal against Tajikistan's Aiaal Belolyubskii, scoring 12 points while conceding just two to win 14-8. He earlier beat Japan's Yamato Ogawa 20-9 and Kazakhstan's Nurdanat Aitanov 12-1 in the earlier rounds.
Why are Sagar Jaglan and Deepak Punia in the bronze-medal bouts?
Both wrestlers lost at the semifinal stage. Sagar Jaglan was beaten 0-10 by Iran's Yones Emamichoghaei in the quarterfinals but won his repechage bout to earn a bronze-medal shot in the men's 74kg freestyle. Deepak Punia narrowly lost his 97kg semifinal 8-9 to Uzbekistan's Sherzod Poyonov.
How many wrestling medals can India win at the 2026 Asian Games on this day?
India has four wrestling medal opportunities on 3 October — two gold-medal finals (Antim Panghal and Aman Sehrawat) and two bronze-medal bouts (Sagar Jaglan and Deepak Punia). All bouts are scheduled for Saturday afternoon IST at Nishio.
