Aichi-Nagoya: Indian wrestler Aman Sehrawat captured the gold medal in the men’s freestyle 57kg division at the 2026 Asian Games on Saturday, overcoming a fierce second-period fightback from North Korea’s Chong Song Han in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. The hard-fought victory delivered India its second wrestling title of the continental tournament following Sujeet Kalkal’s top-podium finish a day earlier.
Sehrawat opened the title bout conservatively, neutralising Han’s aggressive attacks directed at his left leg. Although penalized with a passivity point, the Indian grappler responded decisively with two consecutive takedowns to carry a 4-1 advantage into the interval. He extended the margin to 6-1 shortly after the restart with another well-timed takedown, appearing in firm command of the contest.
The momentum shifted abruptly when Han, battling an apparent knee strain, executed a rapid takedown and consecutive exposures to accumulate six unanswered points, flipping the score to 7-6 in the North Korean’s favour. Refusing to let the bout slip away, Sehrawat answered under immense pressure with a critical four-point counter-sequence, combining a takedown with an immediate roll to retake a 10-7 lead. A failed technical challenge from Han’s corner conceded an additional point, allowing Sehrawat to see out the clock and secure the gold.
The victory capped an outstanding day for the Indian contingent at the continental event, which also celebrated gold medals from golfer Pranavi Urs and the men’s cricket squad. In other disciplines, Indian wrestlers Antim Panghal and Manisha advanced deep into the knockout rounds of their respective weight classes, adding to the nation’s steady momentum on the mat.
