India's Sunil Kumar won the bronze medal in the men's Greco-Roman 87kg category at the Asian Games 2026 on Wednesday after defeating Philippines' Callum Johnston Roberts in the bronze-medal match.
Sunil dominated the contest at the Nagoya City Inae Sports Centre in Japan, racing to a 9-0 lead in the first round. He eventually sealed the bout to secure India's first wrestling medal at this year's Games.
The victory also saw Sunil create a piece of history, as the 27-year-old became the first Indian wrestler to win two medals in Greco-Roman wrestling at the Asian Games.
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Sunil had previously won a bronze medal in the same event at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2022. His latest podium finish means he has now successfully defended his place among the medal winners in the 87kg category.
Sunil Kumar's Asian Games 2026 Campaign
Sunil began his Asian Games 2026 campaign on a strong note, defeating Tajikistan's Muhammad Sultonzoda by technical superiority in his opening bout.
However, the Indian wrestler faced a tough challenge in the semifinal against Japan's Taizo Yoshida. Yoshida defeated Sunil 11-0 by technical superiority to book his place in the final.
The semifinal defeat ended Sunil's hopes of fighting for gold, but his campaign remained alive with the bronze-medal contest. He bounced back strongly against Callum Johnston Roberts, taking control of the bout early and securing a convincing 9-0 victory.
Indian's Who Have Won Medals In Greco-Roman Wrestling at the Asian Games
1962, Jakarta
Ganpat Andalkar – Gold, Men's +97 kg
Maruti Mane – Silver, Men's 97 kg
Sajjan Singh – Silver, Men's 87 kg
Udey Chand – Bronze, Men's 70 kg
Narsingh Patel – Bronze, Men's 63 kg
1974, Tehran
Sukhchain Singh Cheema – Bronze, Men's 100 kg
2010, Guangzhou
Ravinder Singh – Bronze, Men's 66 kg
Sunil Kumar Rana – Bronze, Men's 96 kg
2023, Hangzhou
Sunil Kumar – Bronze, Men's 87 kg
2026, Aichi-Nagoya
Sunil Kumar – Bronze, Men's 87 kg
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