Historic Asian Games Bronze
Deepak Punia Secures India's First 97kg Wrestling Bronze Medal in 60 Years
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Key Points
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Punia, 27, competed in the bronze-medal bout in Nagoya on October 3, 2026.
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The bronze adds to Punia’s wider international record: he won silver at the 2019 World Championships and has five Asian Championships medals.
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India’s overall medal tally at the Games stood at 83—20 golds, 26 silvers and 37 bronzes—after Punia’s result.
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India also won the men’s 57-kg freestyle gold through Aman Sehrawat, who beat North Korea’s Chong Song Han after the lead changed hands in the second period.
India's Deepak Punia won bronze in men's 97-kilogram freestyle wrestling at the 2026 Asian Games, defeating Mongolia's Gankhuyang Ganbaatar 2-1 on October 3, 2026. CNBC TV18 The 27-year-old's victory marks India's first medal in the 97kg men's freestyle category since 1966—a 60-year drought.
Punia's bronze is his second Asian Games medal, following a silver finish in 2023. Morung Express He moved up from the 86kg weight class for this competition, where he also recorded a technical-superiority win and earned a walkover before his narrow 9-8 semifinal loss to Uzbekistan's Sherzod Poyonov.
A Historic Medal Drought Ends for India
Punia's bronze ends a 60-year wait for India in the 97kg men's freestyle category. PM India The last Indian wrestler to medal at this weight at the Asian Games was in 1966. Morung Express The victory extends Punia's decorated international resume, which includes a 2019 World Championships silver medal and five Asian Championships medals.
Punia's Path to Bronze Through a Narrow Semifinal Loss
Punia's road to the medal bout was unconventional. He secured a first-round technical-superiority win and received a walkover in his second match. His semifinal matchup against Uzbekistan's Sherzod Poyonov ended 9-8—a heartbreaking one-point loss. Dainik Jagran The razor-thin defeat dropped him to the bronze-medal bracket against Ganbaatar.
India's Wrestling Success Lifts Overall Medal Tally
Punia's bronze contributed to India's strong showing at the Asian Games. Morung Express The nation won 83 medals total: 20 golds, 26 silvers, and 37 bronzes. India also secured men's 57kg freestyle gold through Aman Sehrawat, who defeated North Korea's Chong Song Han after taking the lead in the second period of their match.
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