National, September 30: Sunil Kumar won bronze in the men’s 87kg Greco-Roman wrestling at the Asian Games 2026, returning to the podium after knee surgery.
The six-time Asian champion, who also won bronze at the 19th Asian Games, reached the bronze-medal contest after losing his semi-final in Aichi-Nagoya.
‘I came here with the aim of winning gold’
Sunil said he was proud of the medal but felt there was more to come.
“Winning a medal for India means a lot to me. I came here with the aim of winning gold for the country, so I know there is more I could have done, but I’m proud to have returned from my injury and stood on the podium,” he said. “After my knee surgery, IIS supported me throughout my rehabilitation and helped me come back stronger.”
“The first person I called after winning was my mother. I’m really thankful for the blessings and support from everyone. I can’t wait to go back and celebrate this win with her.”
Build-up in Uzbekistan
Several members of India’s Greco-Roman group trained in Uzbekistan before the Games. Speaking ahead of the competition, Sunil said that camp had pushed the whole squad.
“The Uzbekistan camp pushed all of us to get better, and after my knee surgery, IIS supported me so well through rehab that my body felt stronger when I came back. I just want the blessings of the people back home, and one thought stays in my head: I have to win a medal,” he said.
Seven IIS wrestlers in the Indian squad
Sunil is one of seven wrestlers from the Inspire Institute of Sport representing India in Aichi-Nagoya across women’s wrestling, freestyle and Greco-Roman. The group includes Antim Panghal, Manisha Bhanwala, Sagar Jaglan, Aman Baroniya and Nitesh Siwach.
Antim returns after competing at Hangzhou 2022, while Manisha makes her Asian Games debut after moving up from 62kg to 57kg. A Japanese coach worked with the women’s wrestlers at the national camps. Sagar Jaglan wrestles in freestyle at 74kg.
“The Asian Games come only once in four years, so we cannot waste this chance,” Antim said before the event.
Aman Baroniya, 20, is the youngest Greco-Roman wrestler in the squad and makes his debut at 77kg after nearly two years of injuries. Nitesh Siwach, 23, came in at 97kg after bronze at the 2025 Asian Championships and silver in 2026, and went on to win silver in Aichi-Nagoya.
