Sujeet Kalkal's Rise: From Olympic Heartbreak To Asian Games Gold Ambition

For Sujeet Kalkal, the journey from missing out on the Paris 2024 Olympics to becoming the world No. 1 wrestler in the 65kg category has been a story of resilience, learning and relentless improvement.

The 24-year-old Indian wrestler has enjoyed a remarkable 2026 season and now heads into the Asian Games in Japan with confidence, momentum and a clear ambition, to win gold.

"Preparation is going well, and I am also mentally very strong because I am injury-free. I don't think there could be anything better than that. I will give my best to win the gold medal," Sujeet told myKhel in an exclusive interview.

His confidence is understandable. Sujeet has been unbeaten in 2026, beginning the year with a title at the Zagreb Open in Croatia before continuing his winning run at the Muhamet Malo Ranking Series in Tirana, Albania. All four of his victories in Tirana came by technical superiority.

But the biggest moment of his season came at the Asian Wrestling Championships in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

Sujeet captured the 65kg continental title, becoming the first Indian wrestler since Bajrang Punia in 2019 to win the Asian championship in the category. His success also propelled him to the top of the UWW world rankings in April, ahead of Iran's world champion Rahman Amouzad and Japan's Paris 2024 Olympic champion Kotaro Kiyooka.

Yet Sujeet's rise did not happen overnight. Sujeet had already established himself as one of India's most promising wrestlers before his breakthrough senior performances.

In 2025, he won his second U23 Asian Championships title in Vung Tau, Vietnam, winning all five of his bouts by technical superiority.

He then made a major statement on the senior stage at the Budapest Ranking Series in Hungary. In the opening round, Sujeet produced a dominant 11-0 victory over Albania's Islam Dudaev, a Paris 2024 Olympic bronze medallist, before going on to win the gold medal.

His progress continued at the senior World Championships in Zagreb later that year. Sujeet reached the quarter-finals, where he narrowly lost 6-5 to Iran's Rahman Amouzad, the Paris 2024 Olympic silver medallist who went on to become world champion.

Instead of allowing the defeat to derail him, Sujeet responded immediately.

At the U23 World Championships in Serbia the following month, he won the 65kg title. His campaign included victories over former U23 world champion Bashir Magomedov and former U20 world champion Yuto Nishiuchi of Japan before he defeated Uzbekistan's world championship bronze medallist Umidjon Jalolov by technical superiority in the final.

That run laid the foundation for what has become an extraordinary 2026.

Sujeet's journey could have taken a very different direction in 2024. He and fellow Indian wrestler Deepak Punia were travelling to Bishkek for the Asian Olympic Qualifier when record rainfall and flooding disrupted flight operations in the UAE. The two wrestlers were stranded in Dubai and eventually reached Bishkek after the morning weigh-in had already begun.

They were not allowed to compete. For Sujeet, it was a devastating setback, but there was still one final opportunity to qualify for Paris.

At the World Olympic Qualifier in Istanbul, Türkiye, he reached the semi-finals but missed out on a direct Olympic quota. In the bronze-medal bout, Sujeet led USA's Zain Retherford 2-0, only for the American to level the contest and win on criteria.

The result ended Sujeet's hopes of competing at the Paris Olympics.

Two years later, however, Sujeet looks at that chapter differently.

"At that time, I didn't have as much maturity as I have now. Maybe that was because of my age. As you grow older, you gain more experience," he said.

"I was 21-22 years old then, and I will turn 24 in November 2026. With age, you gain experience and learn from different situations."

The disappointment remains part of his journey, but it no longer defines him.

"Now, I don't think too much about those things. The past is the past, and I just want to focus on what lies ahead," Sujeet said.

His focus has instead shifted towards becoming a more complete wrestler.

"I can see improvement in myself every day. I have improved a lot, especially in endurance, technique and speed. I am working on improving all three areas," he added.

India has been searching for a successor to Bajrang Punia in the 65kg category since the former world No. 1 established himself among the world's elite.

Punia won Asian Games gold in 2018 before going on to win Olympic bronze at Tokyo 2020 and three World Championships medals during his peak years.

Sujeet now has an opportunity to create his own legacy in the same weight class.

His performances in 2025 and 2026 have already placed him among the leading names in the division. But the Asian Games will provide another major test, with Japan's reigning Olympic champion Kotaro Kiyooka among the key contenders.

Uzbekistan's Umidjon Jalolov, Kyrgyzstan's Ernazar Akmataliev and Iran's Abbas Ebrahimzadeh also bring considerable international experience and pedigree to the 65kg field.

For Sujeet, however, the identity of his opponent does not change his approach.

"I am ready for any opponent, whether they are from Japan, Iran, or anywhere else. I am prepared to face everyone," he said.

That mindset reflects the confidence he has built through an unbeaten 2026 season.

Sujeet knows that the Asian Games are only one part of a bigger season.

Having already secured the Asian title and reached the top of the world rankings, he is now targeting another major international challenge.

The World Championships trials have also gone according to plan.

"World Championships trials also went well for me. And definitely, after the Asian Games, my target will be the World Championships," Sujeet said.

For now, though, his attention is firmly on Japan.

The wrestler who was denied an Olympic opportunity in 2024 has since won major international titles, defeated established names, claimed the Asian championship and risen to world No. 1.

Now comes another opportunity to take a major step forward. And Sujeet believes he is ready.

"I will give my best to win the gold medal."