Asian Games 2026: Aman Sehrawat creates history, wins India’s first Asian Games gold in men’s 57kg wrestling

Indian wrestler Aman Sehrawat scripted history at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, clinching the gold medal in the men’s freestyle 57kg category. Sehrawat defeated North Korea’s Chong Song Han 11-7 in the gold-medal bout to secure the top spot on the podium.

The victory is a landmark moment for Indian wrestling as Sehrawat became the first Indian wrestler to win an Asian Games gold medal in the men’s 57kg category. India had previously won medals in the weight class, including Sehrawat’s bronze at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, but had not claimed the gold in this category.

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Sehrawat entered the final after an impressive run through the competition. In the round of 16, the Indian wrestler produced a dominant 20-0 victory over Japan’s Yamato Ogawa. He continued his strong campaign in the quarterfinals, defeating Kazakhstan’s Nurdanat Aitanov 12-1.

His semifinal proved to be a much tougher contest. Sehrawat found himself trailing 2-6 against Tajikistan’s Aiaal Belolyubskii after the opening period. However, the Indian mounted a remarkable comeback in the second period, scoring 12 points to eventually win the bout 14-8 and book his place in the final.

The gold-medal bout against Chong Song Han was another test of Sehrawat’s composure and attacking ability. The Indian maintained his momentum to finish the contest with an 11-7 victory, completing a memorable gold-medal campaign.

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The triumph also adds another major achievement to Sehrawat’s growing international record. He was already a Paris 2024 Olympic bronze medallist in the 57kg freestyle category and had represented India at the 2023 Asian Games, where he won bronze.

India’s wrestling campaign at Aichi-Nagoya has produced notable performances, with Sujeet Kalkal also winning gold in the men’s 65kg freestyle category. Kalkal had earlier secured India’s first wrestling gold of the 2026 Games.