Published:
Asian Games champion Sujeet Kalkal heads into the men’s freestyle 65kg competition at the World Wrestling Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan, aiming to turn his recent winning run into his first senior world title. Hindustan Times reported on October 28 that the 23-year-old Indian had won 19 consecutive bouts in United World Wrestling events, with his campaign scheduled to begin on Thursday, October 29.
Sujeet is seeded second in a 32-wrestler field, behind Iran’s Rahman Amouzad, the reigning world champion. Their potential rematch is one of the key storylines in the division: Amouzad edged Sujeet 6-5 at last year’s World Championships before going on to claim the title.
The narrow loss to Amouzad proved a turning point in Sujeet’s recent progress. Since then, he has collected titles at international ranking tournaments in Tirana and Zagreb, the Asian Championships and the U23 World Championships, according to Hindustan Times. The run has established him as one of India’s leading medal hopes in Astana.
Sujeet’s recent form was reinforced at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, where he won the men’s 65kg freestyle gold medal. He beat Japan’s Olympic champion Kotaro Kiyooka in the semifinals before producing a dramatic comeback against Tajikistan’s Abdulmazhid Kudiev in the final.
Kudiev had moved ahead 9-2, but Sujeet kept attacking and turned the contest around to win 10-9. The result added the Asian Games title to his existing continental and U23 world honours, and gave him momentum heading into the senior world meet.
Amouzad is the most prominent obstacle in the 65kg draw. The Iranian won world titles in 2022 and 2025 and is also a Paris 2024 Olympic silver medallist. He did not compete at the Asian Games, so the Astana event will offer a fresh test of Sujeet’s ability against the wrestler who narrowly stopped him at the previous Worlds.
Hindustan Times described Sujeet as the only wrestler who seriously challenged Amouzad during last year’s championship run, losing by a single point. If they meet again, the result could turn on small tactical details, including how effectively Sujeet can attack from the ground position and defend against his opponent’s scoring attempts.
The field includes other experienced contenders. Tajikistan’s Abdulmazhid Kudiev, Russia’s Abasgadzhi Magomedov and Japan’s Kaisei Tanabe are among the names identified in tournament coverage. The depth of the division means Sujeet will need to navigate several difficult bouts, not just a potential final against Amouzad.
Sujeet has credited coach Shako Bentinidis with encouraging him to attack more. In comments reported after the Asian Games, he said the coach had urged him to be more proactive after a competition in Russia, even though he had finished first there. Sujeet said the adjustment was visible in his Asian Games performance, particularly in the final, where he continued to attack after falling behind.
The approach was on display against Kudiev, as Sujeet repeatedly sought scoring opportunities rather than allowing the early deficit to decide the match. Against a world-class field in Astana, maintaining that initiative while managing risk will be central to his medal hopes.
The World Wrestling Championships run from October 24 to November 1, with Sujeet’s 65kg freestyle category scheduled for October 29. A senior world title would complete another major step in his rise after success at the Asian Championships, U23 Worlds and Asian Games. It would also settle, if the draw brings them together, a long-awaited rematch with Amouzad.
For Indian wrestling, Sujeet’s campaign is an opportunity to measure recent continental dominance against the strongest field in the sport. His winning streak and Asian Games comeback make him a serious contender, but the 65kg bracket is deep and the outcome will depend on the bouts themselves. The immediate target is to carry his recent form onto the mat and convert it into a senior world championship medal.
