{"id":26008,"date":"2026-09-19T01:20:15","date_gmt":"2026-09-19T01:20:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=26008"},"modified":"2026-09-19T01:20:15","modified_gmt":"2026-09-19T01:20:15","slug":"haar-nahi-maanunga-sujeet-kalkals-asian-games-2026-gold-mission-on-the-road-to-la-olympics-asian-games-2026-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=26008","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;Haar nahi maanunga&#8217;: Sujeet Kalkal&#8217;s Asian Games 2026 gold mission on the road to LA Olympics | Asian Games 2026 News"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"e9jwa\">\n<div class=\"vdo_embedd\">\n<div class=\"GfdvZ\">\n<section class=\"_bIDB  clearfix id-r-component leadmedia undefined undefined  E9tg9 \" style=\"top:0px\">\n<div class=\"_bIDB\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">\n<div class=\"ypVvZ\">\n<div class=\"WGttI\"><img src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-134336609,imgsize-25952,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/lead-sujeet-kalkal-1.jpg\" alt=\"'Haar nahi maanunga': Sujeet Kalkal's Asian Games 2026 gold mission on the road to LA Olympics\" title=\"For Sujeet, the Asian Games is more than just another tournament. It is a fresh start for the wrestler from Haryana\u2019s Bhiwani district.\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Ta7d_ img_cptn\"><span title=\"For Sujeet, the Asian Games is more than just another tournament. It is a fresh start for the wrestler from Haryana\u2019s Bhiwani district.\">For Sujeet, the Asian Games is more than just another tournament. It is a fresh start for the wrestler from Haryana\u2019s Bhiwani district.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>NEW DELHI: The last time Sujeet Kalkal came close to an Olympic dream, he never even got the chance to step on the mat.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"1\"\/>Now, as he prepares for his maiden Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, the 23-year-old wrestler is looking at the continental event as the first major marker of a new Olympic journey &#8211; one that he hopes will eventually take him to Los Angeles in 2028.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"4\"\/>\u201cAsaan nahi tha, bhaisaab. Fir se start kiya hai, haar nahi maanunga. Olympics to sapna hai, poora karna hai bass [It wasn\u2019t easy. I\u2019ve started again, and I won\u2019t give up. The Olympics is a dream, and I have to fulfil it, that\u2019s all],\u201d Sujeet told TimesofIndia.com ahead of the Asian Games.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"6\"\/>There is reason for that confidence. Sujeet enters Aichi-Nagoya having established himself among the leading wrestlers in the 65kg category. <!-- -->He won the Asian Championships in Bishkek earlier this year and has continued to build his credentials in 2026. He also won the 65kg selection trials for the Senior World Championships in Lucknow last week, beating Anuj Kumar 8-3 in the final.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"11\"\/>The Asian Games, however, will present a different test. Sujeet&#8217;s 65kg category features some of the biggest names in Asian wrestling, including Japan&#8217;s Olympic champion Kotaro Kiyooka.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"14\"\/>Sujeet&#8217;s competition starts from October 2, when the men&#8217;s freestyle 65kg, 86kg and 125kg categories will be contested.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"16\"\/>For Sujeet, the Asian Games is more than just another tournament. It is a fresh start for the wrestler from Imlota village in Haryana\u2019s Bhiwani district.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"18\"\/>\u201cI was very happy to qualify [for the Asian Games] . It is a fresh start, and I will not disappoint. Behind this success is the hard work of my father, my coach and my entire team. <!-- -->I am in good form. I will come back with the gold medal,\u201d Sujeet said.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"22\"\/>\u201cThe 65kg category is a very challenging and competitive weight category. The world\u2019s best wrestlers always compete in this category. But I have complete faith in my hard work and preparation. My entire focus is only on gold, brother. I have worked very hard,\u201d he added.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"24\"\/>It will also be a chance to measure how far he has travelled since April 2024, when a three-day ordeal at Dubai International Airport ended his first Olympic campaign before it had even begun.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"27\"\/><\/p>\n<div data-pos=\"0\" class=\"id-r-component iIpbx undefined  &#10;        \">\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Sujeet's competition at Asian Games starts from October 2\" msid=\"134336772\" imgsize=\"12235\" resizemode=\"4\" width=\"\" title=\"\" placeholdersrc=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/83033472.cms\" offsetvertical=\"0\" placeholdermsid=\"47529300\" type=\"thumb\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/imgsize-12235,msid-134336772\/sujeets-competition-at-asian-games-starts-from-october-2.jpg\" data-api-prerender=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"29\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>Three days at Dubai Airport<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"31\"\/>It was April 2024. Sujeet was at Dubai International Airport, waiting to continue his journey to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, where he was scheduled to compete in the Asian Olympic Qualifying Tournament.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"33\"\/>But record rainfall had caused floods in Dubai and badly disrupted air travel.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"35\"\/>Sujeet was stranded at the airport. He could see water everywhere and could only pray that the situation would improve so he could travel to Bishkek, where the qualifiers were scheduled to take place.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"38\"\/>Sujeet could only watch the time, calculate the days and hours on his fingers, and then sit back. His connecting flight was delayed and eventually remained stranded at the airport for three days.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"40\"\/>A flight was finally arranged, but by the time he reached Kyrgyzstan and then the venue, it was one and a half hours after the weigh-in had been completed.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"42\"\/>The Wrestling Federation of India and officials tried their best to find a way to get Sujeet into the competition. <!-- -->But the United World Wrestling rules left them with no option.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"46\"\/>The opportunity was gone.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"48\"\/>\u201cI felt very bad. I have no words. It was four years of hard work, and it all ended in that one moment. I was in good form, and everything was over in a moment. I cried alone too, but I had faith in God. I explained things to myself and returned to India,\u201d Sujeet said.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"50\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>Father&#8217;s words gave him strength<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"52\"\/>Sujeet returned to India devastated. At home, his father Dayanand was waiting for him. <!-- -->Dayanand, a former Greco-Roman wrestler, knew what his son was going through.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"56\"\/>Sujeet immediately hugged his father. He became emotional and had his father&#8217;s shoulder to cry on.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"58\"\/>His father hugged him and told him: \u201cKoi nahi beta, fir se mehnat karenge hum, Olympics khelna hai\u201d.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"60\"\/>Those words stayed with Sujeet.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"62\"\/>\u2018I didn&#8217;t give up&#8217;<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"64\"\/>Starting again was not easy, but Sujeet was adamant. He won gold at the United World Wrestling Ranking Series in Budapest in the men\u2019s 65kg division at the start of 2025. <!-- -->He added two more gold medals to his tally in Zagreb and at the Tirana Grand Prix.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"68\"\/><\/p>\n<div data-pos=\"0\" class=\"id-r-component iIpbx undefined  &#10;        \">\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Sujeet won gold at the United World Wrestling Ranking Series in Budapest at the start of 2025. He added two more gold medals to his tally in Zagreb and at the Tirana Grand Prix.\" msid=\"134336658\" imgsize=\"22216\" resizemode=\"4\" width=\"\" title=\"\" placeholdersrc=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/83033472.cms\" offsetvertical=\"0\" placeholdermsid=\"47529300\" type=\"thumb\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/imgsize-22216,msid-134336658\/sujeet-won-gold-at-the-united-world-wrestling-ranking-series-in-budapest-at-the-start-of-2025-he-added-two-more-gold-medals-to-his-tally-in-zagreb-and-at-the-tirana-grand-prix.jpg\" data-api-prerender=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"70\"\/>He then won a gold medal at the World U23 Championships in 2025 in Novi Sad, Serbia, followed by another gold at the Asian U23 Championships in Vung Tau, Vietnam.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"72\"\/>He didn&#8217;t stop there.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"74\"\/>Sujeet became Asian Champion after winning gold in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. With that gold medal finish, he also rose to the No. 1 ranking in the world.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"76\"\/>Now, he is set for his first Asian Games. A medal in Aichi-Nagoya would take him another step closer to his next big target &#8211; the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"79\"\/>\u201cI didn&#8217;t give up. I have worked very hard. I have to go a long way. If I had competed in Paris, I would have been 21. I am 23 now. I will be 25 when the Los Angeles Olympics comes around. Age makes a big difference. But I don&#8217;t want to step back. My mindset is still the same \u2014 to win a medal for the country,\u201d he said.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"82\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>&#8216;Haanikarak baapu&#8217;<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"84\"\/>For Sujeet, wrestling was never just a sport. His father Dayanand, a former national wrestling champion who also represented India at the World Championships, introduced him to the sport at a very young age. <!-- -->Sujeet was just five when he was pushed into the &#8216;akhaada&#8217;.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"88\"\/><\/p>\n<div data-pos=\"0\" class=\"id-r-component iIpbx undefined  &#10;        \">\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Sujeet Kalkal with his father (Photo\/special arrangements)\" msid=\"134336690\" imgsize=\"18202\" resizemode=\"4\" width=\"\" title=\"\" placeholdersrc=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/83033472.cms\" offsetvertical=\"0\" placeholdermsid=\"47529300\" type=\"thumb\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/imgsize-18202,msid-134336690\/sujeet-kalkal-with-his-father-photospecial-arrangements.jpg\" data-api-prerender=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"90\"\/>Dayanand could not go to the Olympics to represent India. Now, he wants his son to fulfil that unfulfilled dream.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"92\"\/>\u201cPapa is very strict,&#8221; he says.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"94\"\/>&#8220;Wo dangal mein haanikarak baapu they na, wo waise hi kuch hain (laughs). He told me, \u2018Son, you have to become a wrestler. A wrestler\u2019s son should be a wrestler.\u2019 I have learnt a lot from him since childhood. He is both my guru and my father. Whatever I am today is because of him,\u201d he said.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"96\"\/>\u201cHis dream is to see me at the Olympics and see me win a medal. I will definitely fulfil this dream of my father,\u201d Sujeet signed off.<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/sports\/asian-games-2026\/haar-nahi-maanunga-sujeet-kalkals-asian-games-2026-gold-mission-on-the-road-to-la-olympics\/articleshow\/134336297.cms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For Sujeet, the Asian Games is more than just another tournament. It is a fresh start for the wrestler from Haryana\u2019s Bhiwani district. NEW DELHI: The last time Sujeet Kalkal came close to an Olympic dream, he never even got the chance to step on the mat.Now, as he prepares for his maiden Asian Games [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":26009,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26008","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-31"],"magazineBlocksPostFeaturedMedia":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/lead-sujeet-kalkal-1.jpg","medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/lead-sujeet-kalkal-1.jpg","medium_large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/lead-sujeet-kalkal-1.jpg","large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/lead-sujeet-kalkal-1.jpg","1536x1536":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/lead-sujeet-kalkal-1.jpg","2048x2048":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/lead-sujeet-kalkal-1.jpg","blogsy-small":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/lead-sujeet-kalkal-1.jpg","blogsy-small-tall":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/lead-sujeet-kalkal-1.jpg","blogsy-small-square":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/lead-sujeet-kalkal-1.jpg","blogsy-small-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/lead-sujeet-kalkal-1.jpg","blogsy-medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/lead-sujeet-kalkal-1.jpg","blogsy-medium-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/lead-sujeet-kalkal-1.jpg","blogsy-large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/lead-sujeet-kalkal-1.jpg","blogsy-wide":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/lead-sujeet-kalkal-1.jpg"},"magazineBlocksPostAuthor":{"name":"admin","avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8709732a479614e7a8aa24d3eb1b239f30dc6d90c61464ed495001e7a469d856?s=96&d=mm&r=g"},"magazineBlocksPostCommentsNumber":"0","magazineBlocksPostExcerpt":"For Sujeet, the Asian Games is more than just another tournament. It is a fresh start for the wrestler from Haryana\u2019s Bhiwani district. NEW DELHI: The last time Sujeet Kalkal came close to an Olympic dream, he never even got the chance to step on the mat.Now, as he prepares for his maiden Asian Games [&hellip;]","magazineBlocksPostCategories":["\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36 \u0b2c\u0b3f\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36"],"magazineBlocksPostViewCount":2,"magazineBlocksPostReadTime":6,"magazine_blocks_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/lead-sujeet-kalkal-1.jpg",400,225,false],"medium":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/lead-sujeet-kalkal-1.jpg",300,169,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/lead-sujeet-kalkal-1.jpg",150,84,false]},"magazine_blocks_author":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/author\/admin"},"magazine_blocks_comment":0,"magazine_blocks_author_image":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8709732a479614e7a8aa24d3eb1b239f30dc6d90c61464ed495001e7a469d856?s=96&d=mm&r=g","magazine_blocks_category":"<a href=\"#\" class=\"category-link category-link-31\">\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36 \u0b2c\u0b3f\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36<\/a>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26008","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=26008"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26008\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/26009"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=26008"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=26008"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=26008"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}