Sujeet Kalkal’s 24-match winning streak ended in a 3-3 criteria defeat to Abdulmazhid Kudiev
The Indian had won seven titles in the past year
Sujeet’s wait for a senior World Championships medal continues
Sujeet Kalkal’s World Wrestling Championships 2026 campaign ended in heartbreak on Thursday as the Indian wrestler suffered a 3-3 criteria defeat to Tajikistan’s Abdulmazhid Kudiev in the men’s 65kg quarterfinals, bringing his 24-match winning streak to an end.
Sujeet had arrived at the championships on the back of a remarkable year, winning seven titles, including the Under-23 World Championships, the 2026 Asian Championships and the Asian Games.
However, his pursuit of a maiden senior World Championships medal suffered another setback as Kudiev edged him out in a closely fought contest.
The defeat was Sujeet’s first since the repechage round at last year’s World Championships in Zagreb. It also ended India’s hopes of seeing a second men’s freestyle world champion after Sushil Kumar, who won the title in 2010.
Thursday’s bout carried the added significance of a rematch of the Asian Games final, where Sujeet had beaten Kudiev to claim gold.
The Indian had overturned a daunting 2-9 deficit in that contest, scoring eight consecutive points to complete a memorable comeback. This time, however, he could not find a way past the Tajik wrestler.
Sujeet conceded the opening point after being penalised for passivity but responded with a takedown just five seconds before the end of the first period to take a 2-1 lead.
Kudiev was subsequently penalised for passivity, allowing Sujeet to extend his advantage to 3-1. With the Indian holding the lead, the contest moved into its closing stages, where both wrestlers looked for an opportunity to settle the bout.
Sujeet failed to find a decisive move in the closing seconds as the bout ended 3-3. Kudiev took the win on criteria, having scored the final point, to end the Indian’s 24-match winning streak and advance to the semifinals.
The quarterfinal defeat overshadowed what had been a confident start to Sujeet’s campaign. He opened with a commanding 12-1 victory over Switzerland’s Nino Leutert by technical superiority before defeating Belarus’ Islam Guseinov 4-0 to progress to the last eight.
Those two wins had put Sujeet within one victory of the semifinals, but Kudiev once again proved to be a difficult opponent. Unlike their Asian Games encounter, when the Indian recovered from a substantial deficit to take gold, Sujeet was unable to turn the contest in his favour this time.
Despite his success over the past year, the senior World Championships medal remains elusive for Sujeet. His latest defeat means the wait will continue, with his impressive winning streak ending at 24 matches.
