Nagoya, 30 September (H.S.): Indian wrestler Sunil Kumar won the bronze medal in the men’s Greco-Roman 87kg category at the Asian Games 2026 after defeating the Philippines’ Calum Johnston Roberts 9-0 by technical superiority in the bronze-medal bout on Wednesday.

At the Nagoya City Inae Sports Center, Sunil dominated the contest from the outset. He established a 9-0 lead and secured victory by technical superiority with nearly three minutes still remaining in the bout.

With the victory, Sunil Kumar became the first Indian wrestler to win two medals in Greco-Roman wrestling at the Asian Games. He had previously won a bronze medal at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou.

Sunil had begun his campaign in Hangzhou with a 9-0 victory over Tajikistan’s Muhammad Sultonzoda. However, he suffered an 0-11 defeat to Japan’s Taizo Yoshida in the semi-final. He then bounced back emphatically in the bronze-medal bout, defeating Roberts in dominant fashion.

Sunil’s achievement is also significant for Indian wrestling at the Asian Games, as he has secured medals for the country in the Greco-Roman discipline at two successive editions of the continental Games.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar