Nitesh Siwach made history by becoming the first Indian wrestler in 64 years to reach the 97kg Greco-Roman final at the Asian Games with a dominant technical-superiority win in Nagoya on Thursday (October 1).
Nitesh defeated Mongolia’s Gankhuyag Ganbaatar 9-0 in the semifinal to secure his place in the final. The Asian Championships silver medallist produced two four-point throws from the ground position to end the bout in emphatic fashion. He celebrated the win with a stunning somersault.
He will face Japan’s Yuri Nakazato in the final later today. If Nitesh wins the final bout, he will become the first Indian to win an Asian Games gold in Greco-Roman wrestling in 64 years.
Earlier, Nitesh had advanced to the quarterfinals with a 7-1 win over Turkmenistan’s Amanberdi Agamammedov.
Ganpat Andalkar is the first and only Indian to win a Greco-Roman wrestling gold medal at the Asian Games.
At the 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta, Ganpat won the Greco-Roman wrestling gold in the 97kg category, in addition to a silver medal in freestyle wrestling in the same weight category.
India has already won a Greco-Roman wrestling medal in Aichi-Nagoya through , who bagged bronze in the men’s 87kg event.
Nitesh, a milkman’s son from Jagsi village in Haryana’s Sonipat district, took up wrestling in 2012 at Pratap Sports School, inspired by his father.
He emerged as one of India’s promising Greco-Roman wrestlers, rising through the age-group ranks. His major international achievements include a bronze medal at the 2022 U23 World Championships, a bronze at the 2025 Senior Asian Championships, and a silver at the 2026 Senior Asian Wrestling Championships.
Mansi to fight for bronze
In the women’s 62kg category, Mansi Ahlawat will fight for a bronze on Thursday against Mongolia’s Altjin Togtokh. Mansi lost her semifinal against Japan’s Asian champion Nonoka Ozaki, who prevailed 6-0 in the bout.
The Japan proved too hard for Mansi. Ozaki took a 2-0 lead with a right-leg attack before adding another takedown after attacking Mansi’s left leg, using deception smartly.