Indian wrestler Sujeet Kalkal saw his 24-match winning streak end on Thursday, falling 3-3 on criteria to Tajikistan’s Abdulmazhid Kudiev in the men’s 65kg quarterfinals at the World Wrestling Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan. The loss halts Sujeet’s pursuit of a maiden senior world title.
Sujeet Kalkal Falls in Astana
Sujeet Kalkal, the 23-year-old Asian Games champion, entered the tournament holding seven titles from the past year. He lost to Kudiev, an opponent he previously defeated in the Asian Games final. The bout ended 3-3, with Kudiev winning on criteria by scoring the final point.
A controversial sequence occurred in the final 30 seconds. Sujeet appeared to secure a takedown near the edge of the mat. After a successful challenge from the Tajik corner, those points were nullified. Kudiev received two points for a counter-takedown, leveling the match.
Sujeet Seeks First Senior World Championship Medal
Sujeet had been a dominant force on the international circuit. His unbeaten 24-match run included gold medals at the 2026 Asian Championships and the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya.
The coach told me that I should attack more. We had a competition in Russia a few days ago where I came first, but the coach was not happy. He said that I don’t attack as much as I can.
Sujeet Kalkal, wrestler
Sujeet remains in search of his first senior world championship medal. This loss delays India’s ambition of producing a men’s freestyle world champion for the second time since Sushil Kumar’s victory in 2010. United World Wrestling ranks Sujeet world number two. He trails only Iran’s reigning world champion and 2024 Olympic silver medallist, Rahman Amouzad.
The 65kg quarterfinals World Championships resultsQF 1: Shamil MAMEDOV 🇧🇬 df. Taiyrbek ZHUMASHBEK UULU 🇰🇬, 6-0QF 2: Bowen BASSETT 🇺🇸 df. Abasgadzhi MAGOMEDOV 🇷🇺, 14-13 QF 3: Abdulmazhid KUDIEV 🇹🇯 df. SUJEET 🇮🇳, 3-3QF 4: Vazgen TEVANYAN 🇦🇲 df. Rahman AMOUZAD 🇮🇷, 3-2 pic.twitter.com/fXZqTTh8SP
Performance of the Indian Squad
Manisha Bhanwala advanced to the semifinals of the women’s 59kg division with a 6-0 victory over Mongolia’s Bolortuya Khurelkhuu. Vicky reached the last-eight in the men’s 97kg category with wins over Sarco Colmenarez and Radu Letter before falling to Japan’s Arash Yoshida.
Olympic medallist Aman Sehrawat opted out of the championships while recovering from shoulder and ankle injuries. Two-time World Championships bronze medallist Antim Panghal also withdrew. Olympian Deepak Punia missed the tournament due to a shoulder injury.
India Sends 30 Wrestlers to Astana
The Indian team in Astana includes 30 wrestlers. This total covers 10 athletes each in the men’s freestyle, women’s freestyle, and Greco-Roman disciplines.
The men’s freestyle lineup consists of Rahul (57kg), Nikhil (61kg), Sujeet Kalkal (65kg), Vishal Kaliraman (70kg), Sagar Jaglan (74kg), Sourabh Yadav (79kg), Pushpender Dalal (86kg), Sachin (92kg), Vicky (97kg), and Jaspooran Singh (125kg). Only five of the 15 wrestlers India sent to the Asian Games are participating in Astana: Sujeet Kalkal, Sagar Jaglan, Manisha Bhanwala, Sunil Kumar, and Nitesh Siwach.
Sujeet remains eligible for the repechage round if Abdulmazhid Kudiev reaches the final. Points earned at the 2026 World Championships will influence seeding for the 2027 Ranking Series, continental championships, and future World Championships, impacting preparation for the early stages of the LA 2028 Olympic cycle. The medal bouts for these weight classes are scheduled for October 30.