Asian Games 2026: President Murmu hails squash team's bronze, Nitesh Siwach's historic silver
Synopsis
Wrestler Nitesh Siwach ended a 64-year wait by reaching the Greco-Roman final at Asian Games 2026, while the Indian men's squash team claimed bronze in Nagoya — and President Droupadi Murmu personally congratulated both on X. Two disciplines long on the margins of Indian sport just delivered their biggest Asian Games moments in decades.
Key Takeaways
President Droupadi Murmu congratulated India's men's squash team and wrestler Nitesh Siwach via posts on X on 1 October 2026 .
The Indian squash team — Velavan Senthilkumar , Veer Chotrani , Abhay Singh , and Suraj Kumar Chand — won bronze after losing 2-1 to Malaysia in the semifinal at Nagoya Kinjo Futo Arena .
Nitesh Siwach won silver in the men's 97 kg Greco-Roman wrestling event, becoming the first Indian to reach that final in 64 years since Maruti Mane at the 1962 Asian Games .
Nitesh defeated Turkmenistan 7-1 in the quarterfinals and Mongolia 9-0 in the semis before losing the gold-medal bout to Japan's Yuri Nakazato .
The results mark a landmark outing for both squash and Greco-Roman wrestling in India's Asian Games campaign.
President Droupadi Murmu on 1 October 2026 congratulated the Indian men's squash team for clinching the bronze medal at the Asian Games 2026 and wrestler Nitesh Siwach for a historic silver in the men's 97 kg Greco-Roman category — the first time an Indian has reached that event's final in 64 years. Both posts of congratulation were shared by President Murmu on X.
Squash Team's Bronze at Nagoya
The Indian men's squash team — comprising Velavan Senthilkumar, Veer Chotrani, Abhay Singh, and Suraj Kumar Chand — secured the bronze after going down 2-1 to Malaysia in the semifinal at the Nagoya Kinjo Futo Arena on Thursday. The loss came despite a spirited fightback midway through the tie.
India fell behind early when Abhay Singh, the individual silver medallist in the event, was beaten 3-0 by Malaysia's Eain Yow, who had also won the men's singles gold. Veer Chotrani levelled the tie with a commanding 3-0 win over Sanjay Jeeva, taking games 11-4, 11-8, and 11-5. The deciding rubber fell to Velavan Senthilkumar, who won the opening game 12-10 against Ameeshenraj Chandaran before the Malaysian recovered to clinch the next three games 11-6, 11-8, and 11-9, sending Malaysia into the final.
'Congratulations to Velavan Senthilkumar, Veer Chotrani, Abhay Singh and Suraj Kumar Chand on winning the Bronze Medal in the Men's Team event in Squash at the Asian Games 2026. Your determined efforts have earned India a place on the podium. My best wishes to the entire team for many more successes ahead,' President Murmu posted on X.
Nitesh Siwach's Historic Silver in Greco-Roman Wrestling
Wrestler Nitesh Siwach scripted history by becoming the first Indian in 64 years to reach the final of the men's Greco-Roman wrestling event at the Asian Games — a feat last achieved by Maruti Mane at the 1962 Asian Games. Nitesh's campaign was marked by dominant knockout performances: a 7-1 victory over Turkmenistan's Amanberdi Agamammedov in the quarterfinals and a 9-0 rout of Mongolia's Ganbaataryn Gankhuyag in the semifinal.
In the gold-medal bout, however, Japan's Yuri Nakazato took control early and defeated Nitesh to claim gold, leaving the Indian with silver. The result still represents a landmark moment for Greco-Roman wrestling in India, a discipline that has historically struggled to produce Asian Games medallists.
'Heartiest congratulations to Nitesh on winning the Silver Medal in the Men's 97 kg Greco-Roman Wrestling at the Asian Games 2026. A historic performance that ends 64 years after an Indian reached the final of this event at these Games! May this mark the beginning of many more memorable victories ahead,' President Murmu posted on X.
India's Broader Asian Games 2026 Campaign
The two medals add to India's growing tally at Asian Games 2026. Notably, Nitesh's silver arrives in a wrestling format where India has historically prioritised freestyle over Greco-Roman, making this result a potential catalyst for fresh investment in the discipline. For the squash contingent, the bronze complements Abhay Singh's individual silver, underscoring a strong collective showing at the Games.
What Comes Next
Both achievements are expected to draw renewed government and federation attention to squash and Greco-Roman wrestling in India's sporting pipeline. With the next Asian Games cycle and Olympic qualifications on the horizon, these performances could inform selection and training priorities for the years ahead.
Point of View
Read alongside Abhay Singh's individual silver, suggests depth — not just individual brilliance — is emerging in the sport. President Murmu's personal X posts for both athletes are a rare form of presidential attention that carries soft-power implications for federation funding and grassroots visibility. The question now is whether the Sports Authority of India translates the momentum into structured Greco-Roman and squash academies, or whether these performances remain one-cycle anomalies.
NationPress
1 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What medals did India win in squash and wrestling at Asian Games 2026?
India won a bronze medal in the men's team squash event and a silver medal in men's 97 kg Greco-Roman wrestling at Asian Games 2026. The squash team lost 2-1 to Malaysia in the semifinal, while wrestler Nitesh Siwach was defeated in the gold-medal bout by Japan's Yuri Nakazato.
Why is Nitesh Siwach's silver medal considered historic?
Nitesh Siwach became the first Indian in 64 years to reach the final of the men's Greco-Roman wrestling event at the Asian Games. The last Indian to achieve this was Maruti Mane at the 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta.
Who were the members of the Indian men's squash team that won bronze?
The bronze-winning Indian squash team comprised Velavan Senthilkumar, Veer Chotrani, Abhay Singh, and Suraj Kumar Chand. The team competed at the Nagoya Kinjo Futo Arena and reached the podium despite their semifinal loss to Malaysia.
How did President Murmu react to India's Asian Games medals?
President Droupadi Murmu posted separate congratulatory messages on X for both the squash team and Nitesh Siwach. She described Nitesh's performance as 'historic' and expressed her best wishes for further successes to the squash team.
How did Nitesh Siwach perform on his way to the final?
Nitesh Siwach was dominant in the knockout rounds, defeating Turkmenistan's Amanberdi Agamammedov 7-1 in the quarterfinals and Mongolia's Ganbaataryn Gankhuyag 9-0 in the semifinal before losing the gold-medal bout to Japan's Yuri Nakazato.
