Sunil Kumar won bronze in the men's Greco-Roman 87kg category at Asian Games 2026
He beat the Philippines' Callum Johnston Roberts 9-0 by technical superiority in the bronze-medal bout
The medal is Sunil's second Asian Games bronze, making him the first Indian Greco-Roman wrestler to win two Asian Games medals
Sunil Kumar opened India's wrestling medal account at the Asian Games 2026 by securing bronze in the men's Greco-Roman 87kg category on Wednesday.
The 27-year-old Haryana wrestler defeated the Philippines' Callum Johnston Roberts 9-0 by technical superiority in the bronze-medal bout, wrapping up the contest in the opening period.
The victory also earned Sunil his second consecutive Asian Games medal after he had claimed bronze in the same weight category at the Hangzhou Games in 2023.
Sunil made a confident start to his campaign, defeating Tajikistan's Muhammad Sultonzoda 9-0 by technical superiority in his opening bout. He carried that momentum into the semifinals, where he faced Japan's Taizo Yoshida, the reigning U20 World Champion.
However, Yoshida proved too strong for the Indian, securing an 11-0 technical superiority victory and sending Sunil into the bronze-medal contest.
There was little doubt about the outcome once the bronze bout began. Sunil quickly took control, locking his opponent's right arm and executing two takedowns to establish a 4-0 lead.
Johnston Roberts struggled to find a way back as Sunil maintained his pressure. After forcing the Filipino into the 'Par Terre' position, the Indian continued to add points through successive scoring moves before ending the contest by technical superiority in the first period.
The medal marks another significant milestone for Sunil, who became the first Indian Greco-Roman wrestler to win two Asian Games medals. His bronze at Hangzhou 2023 had ended India's 13-year wait for a medal in Greco-Roman wrestling at the Asian Games.
Before Sunil's achievement in Hangzhou, India's previous Greco-Roman medals had come at the 2010 Guangzhou Games, where Ravinder Singh and Sunil Kumar Rana won bronze medals.
Sunil's latest podium finish therefore extends India's recent return to the Asian Games Greco-Roman wrestling medal table and gives the Indian contingent its first wrestling medal of the 2026 edition.
