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Wrestler Sujeet’s golden comeback
In Short
Indian wrestler Sujeet Kalkal secured a dramatic men's 65kg gold at the Asian Games, overcoming an Olympic champion and staging an incredible eight-point comeback in the final.
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Sujeet Kalkal underlined his growing supremacy in the men’s 65kg category by clinching the Asian Games gold here on Friday, defeating Olympic champion Kotaro Kiyooka en route to the title and erasing a massive 2-9 deficit in the final to add yet another crown to his tally in a stunning year of domination.
Stronger Iranian and Japanese rivals were expected to make life tough for Sujeet in a tricky draw but it was Tajikistan’s Abdulmazhid Kudiev who tested the Indian most by racing to a 9-2 lead.
Using his tremendous speed and technical skills, Sujeet found a way to make a dramatic turnaround and prevail 10-9, scoring eight points in a row and holding off his rival.
Kudiev did not let Sujeet attack by employing arm locks in the first period. Once Sujeet got a measure of his rival’s style he did not let him make any attacking move.
It is Sujeet’s first Asian Games gold and the 23-year-old Indian has now swept the U23 World Championships, Asian Championships, Zagreb Open, Tirana title in the last 12 months, winning virtually everything that has come his way. His only setback came at the Mongolian Open in June, where a knee injury forced him to withdraw, but otherwise Sujeet has been unbeaten in his pursuit of the biggest titles on offer.
