Nagoya: Aman Sehrawat produced a dramatic comeback in the men’s 57kg freestyle wrestling final to defeat reigning world champion Han Chong-song 11-7 and win the gold medal at the Asian Games 2026.

The Indian wrestler overcame a late fightback from the North Korean grappler at the Nagoya City Inae Sports Center before sealing victory in the final seconds. The triumph also made Aman the first Indian to win an Asian Games gold medal in the men’s 57kg freestyle category.

Aman’s gold came shortly after Sujeet Kalkal had won the men’s 65kg freestyle title, giving India two gold medals in men’s freestyle wrestling at the same Asian Games for the first time since 1978.

Aman stages stunning comeback in final

Aman began the final strongly and established a 6-1 lead in the second period against Han Chong-song.

The North Korean, however, showed why he entered the contest as the reigning world champion. Han launched a series of attacks and produced three two-point moves to overturn Aman’s advantage and move ahead 7-6.

With the clock running down, Aman responded with a decisive late surge.

The Indian secured four points through a takedown and a roll, moving back in front at 10-7. Han challenged the scoring, but the challenge was unsuccessful.

The failed challenge resulted in an additional point for Aman, taking the score to 11-7.

Aman then successfully defended his advantage during the final 30 seconds to complete one of the most dramatic victories of India’s wrestling campaign at the Games.

First Asian Games gold in 57kg for India

Aman’s victory has historical significance for Indian wrestling.

The 57kg freestyle category has produced several notable Indian wrestlers over the years, but Aman became the first Indian to win the Asian Games gold medal in this weight class.

His victory also added another major achievement to a career that already includes an Olympic medal.

Aman won bronze at the Paris Olympics, establishing himself among India’s leading freestyle wrestlers. He had also claimed bronze at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games.

His performance in Nagoya therefore represents a step up from his previous Asian Games result, with the Indian now leaving the competition with the gold medal.

Aman reaches final after three impressive wins

Aman’s route to the gold medal included three victories before the final.

He began his campaign with a dominant performance against Japan’s Yamato Ogawa. Aman won the bout by technical superiority, 20-9, to progress to the quarterfinals.

In the quarterfinal, he faced Kazakhstan’s Nurdanat Aitanov and produced another emphatic performance, winning 12-1.

The semifinal proved considerably more challenging.

Aman faced Tajikistan’s Aiaal Belolyubskii and found himself trailing 2-6 after the opening period. The Indian wrestler, however, completely changed the contest in the second period.

He scored 12 points while conceding only two, turning the bout around to secure a 14-8 victory and book his place in the final.

That comeback set the tone for another fightback against Han in the gold-medal bout.

Sujeet Kalkal also wins wrestling gold

Aman’s victory came after Sujeet Kalkal had already secured India’s first wrestling gold medal at the Asian Games 2026.

Sujeet defeated Tajikistan’s Abdulmazhid Kudiyev 10-9 in a dramatic men’s freestyle 65kg final.

The Indian wrestler faced a significant deficit for much of the contest. He trailed 2-9 before producing a remarkable late comeback.

Sujeet scored eight consecutive points in the closing stages to overturn the deficit and move ahead 10-9.

He held on to the lead to secure the gold medal and end India’s wait for a wrestling gold at the Games.

The victories by Sujeet and Aman mean India have won two gold medals in men’s freestyle wrestling at the same edition of the Asian Games.

India match 1978 record

The double gold marks a significant moment in India’s Asian Games wrestling history.

According to the supplied tournament record, this is the first time since 1978 that India have won two gold medals in the men’s freestyle wrestling competition at the Asian Games.

Sujeet’s 65kg triumph and Aman’s 57kg victory have therefore given India’s wrestling contingent a particularly successful campaign in Nagoya.

For Aman, the achievement is also notable because of the quality of opposition he overcame. Han Chong-song entered the final as the reigning world champion, but the Indian managed to recover after briefly losing the lead and finish the contest strongly.

From Hangzhou bronze to Nagoya gold

Aman’s Asian Games journey has now taken him from a bronze medal to the top step of the podium.

He won bronze at the 2023 Hangzhou Games before adding an Olympic bronze medal at Paris. His latest performance in Nagoya has now brought him an Asian Games gold.

The 57kg wrestler’s ability to recover from difficult positions was again evident in the final.

After leading 6-1, Aman found himself behind 7-6 as Han mounted his comeback. Rather than allowing the momentum to shift permanently, Aman produced the decisive sequence in the closing stages.

His four-point attack, followed by the failed challenge and penalty point, gave him enough of a cushion to survive the final seconds.

A new chapter for Indian wrestling

Aman’s gold medal adds another major achievement to India’s wrestling campaign at the Asian Games 2026.

The victory also underlines the depth of India’s freestyle wrestling contingent, with Sujeet Kalkal and Aman Sehrawat both securing gold medals in their respective weight categories.

For Aman, the 11-7 victory over the reigning world champion represents the culmination of a tournament in which he repeatedly demonstrated his ability to recover from difficult situations.

After defeating Ogawa and Aitanov comfortably, he overcame a six-point deficit against Belolyubskii in the semifinal. In the final, he again responded after Han turned a five-point deficit into a one-point lead.

The Indian wrestler ultimately kept his composure in the closing seconds to secure the gold and make history in the 57kg category.