Brij Bhushan Singh on India's 2026 Asian Games wrestling: 'Girls' performance not good enough'
Synopsis
Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh called India's six wrestling medals at the 2026 Asian Games a historically notable result — the best since 1966 — but pulled no punches on the women's campaign, saying it did not meet expectations. He also set a bold target: matching that six-medal haul at the Olympics, while ruling out contesting the 2027 state polls.
Key Takeaways
Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh said India's women wrestlers underperformed at the 2026 Asian Games , falling short of his predicted eight-medal target.
India won six medals — two gold, two silver, two bronze — in wrestling at the Games.
Aman Sehrawat (57 kg freestyle) and Sujeet Kalkal (65 kg freestyle) won the gold medals.
Singh called the haul India's best wrestling result since 1966 , noting more gold medals than at the 2023 Asian Games .
He set a target of six Olympic medals for Indian wrestling and stressed the need to rebuild after a turbulent two-to-three-year period.
Singh ruled out contesting the 2027 Assembly elections and deferred comment on the next parliamentary polls.
Former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP and former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on Monday, 5 October 2026, said that India's wrestling contingent at the 2026 Asian Games fell short of his expectations, singling out the women wrestlers for underperforming. Speaking from Gonda, he noted that while the six-medal haul was historically significant, it did not match the eight medals he had anticipated.
What Singh Said About the Women's Performance
Singh was pointed in his assessment of the women's campaign. 'The girls' performance was not as good,' he said, adding that he had projected three gold, three silver, and one bronze — a total of eight medals — but India settled for six.
Despite his disappointment, he placed the result in a broader historical frame. 'This is the first time since 1966 that we have achieved such a remarkable result,' he said. He also noted that while India's overall medal count matched the 2023 Asian Games tally, the number of gold medals was higher this time around.
India's Medal Breakdown at the 2026 Asian Games
Aman Sehrawat claimed gold in the men's 57 kg freestyle category, while Sujeet Kalkal topped the podium in the men's 65 kg freestyle event. Nitesh Siwach secured silver in the men's 97 kg Greco-Roman category, and Ananthi Panghal won silver in the women's 53 kg freestyle.
Bronze medals went to Deepak Punia in freestyle and Sunil Kumar in the men's 87 kg Greco-Roman category, rounding out a six-medal haul for Indian wrestling at the continental event.
Call to Focus on Wrestling After a 'Turbulent' Period
Singh argued that the sport needs urgent institutional attention following what he described as a difficult two-to-three-year stretch that disrupted athlete preparation and continuity. 'The last two to three years have been turbulent, preventing many good athletes from repeating their performances,' he said.
This is widely read as a reference to the controversy surrounding his own tenure as WFI president, which was marked by protests from top Indian wrestlers alleging misconduct — a period that cast a long shadow over the sport's governance and athlete welfare. Singh did not address those allegations directly in his remarks.
He expressed optimism about the current environment, saying there was now 'coordination between the government, sports associations and athletes,' and set an ambitious target: replicating the six-medal tally at the next Olympic Games.
Singh Closes Door on 2027 Assembly Polls
On the political front, Singh confirmed he would not contest the 2027 Assembly elections. On his parliamentary future, he was non-committal, saying a decision would be made 'when the time came' and that no statement could be made at present regarding the next general elections.
With Indian wrestling's Olympic cycle now in sharper focus and institutional rebuilding underway, the sport's administrators face pressure to convert the 2026 Asian Games momentum into podium performances on the world's biggest stage.
Point of View
Without surfacing that context, lets a significant accountability gap go unexamined. The six-medal count is genuinely the best since 1966, but the benchmark Singh applies — his own pre-Games prediction — is one he set himself. The harder question is whether Indian wrestling's governance reforms since the WFI controversy have been deep enough to sustain an Olympic push, or whether the sport is still recovering from institutional damage that predates the Asian Games cycle.
NationPress
5 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How many medals did India win in wrestling at the 2026 Asian Games?
India won six medals in wrestling at the 2026 Asian Games — two gold, two silver, and two bronze. Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh had anticipated eight medals, including three gold.
Who won gold for India in wrestling at the 2026 Asian Games?
Aman Sehrawat won gold in the men's 57 kg freestyle category and Sujeet Kalkal won gold in the men's 65 kg freestyle category at the 2026 Asian Games.
Why did Brij Bhushan Singh criticise India's women wrestlers?
Singh said the women wrestlers did not perform as well as expected, contributing to India winning six medals instead of the eight he had predicted. He did not specify which events or athletes he felt underdelivered.
What Olympic target did Brij Bhushan Singh set for Indian wrestling?
Singh said India should aim to win six medals at the next Olympic Games — matching the tally achieved at the 2026 Asian Games. He stressed the need for better coordination between the government, sports bodies, and athletes.
Will Brij Bhushan Singh contest the 2027 Assembly elections?
No. Singh confirmed on 5 October 2026 that he would not contest the 2027 Assembly elections. On the next parliamentary polls, he said a decision would be made when the time came and declined to commit either way.
