At 2-9 down in the Asian Games final, Sujeet Kalkal was staring at defeat. Seven points separated him from Abdulmazhid Kudiev, and the gold medal that had seemed within reach was suddenly slipping away.
But the Indian wrestler refused to let the scoreboard dictate the outcome.
What followed was the defining moment of Sujeet’s campaign. He produced an eight-point fightback to turn the contest around and clinched a stunning 10-9 victory, completing one of the most remarkable comebacks of the Asian Games.
For Sujeet, the gold medal was not merely another addition to his growing list of achievements. It was the biggest title of his career and a result that has further strengthened his belief that he can compete for an Olympic medal at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
“I will put this Asian Games medal above all that I have achieved in my career,” Sujeet told PTI from Japan.
The road to the final had already demonstrated the mindset with which Sujeet approached the competition. With Olympic champion Kotaro Kiyooka and a strong Iranian opponent potentially standing in his path, the Indian refused to get caught up in reputations or the difficulty of his draw.
After a convincing opening victory, Sujeet delivered one of the standout moments of the tournament in the quarterfinal. He threw Iran’s Abbas Ebrahimzadehsavadkouhi from a standing position inside the opening 20 seconds, sending out a strong statement about his intentions.
He then produced another major performance in the semifinal, overcoming Japan’s Olympic champion Kiyooka to book his place in the gold-medal bout.
The final, however, presented a completely different challenge. Sujeet struggled during the early exchanges and fell 2-9 behind against Kudiev. Yet even at that stage, the Indian remained convinced that the contest was still his to win.
“My body was a bit cool, it took time to warm up the body that is why I could not do well initially in the bout. I was confident to come back even after the score was 2-9, I was confident I will pull it off,” he said.
His comeback brought back memories of Ravi Dahiya’s famous Tokyo Olympics semifinal. Dahiya had trailed Kazakhstan’s Nurislam Sanayev 2-9 before producing a remarkable turnaround and eventually pinning his opponent to reach the final.
And despite defeating an Olympic champion and recovering from a 2-9 deficit in the final, Sujeet is not ready to describe himself as unbeatable.
“I can lose tomorrow also. But I am progressing. And the way I am competing I will be a genuine contender at LA Olympic Games in 2028,” he concluded.