Dipanshi misses bronze in 50kg wrestling bout at Asian Games
Indian wrestler Dipanshi lost the 50kg bronze medal bout to Kazakhstan's Zeinep Bayanova at the Asian Games 2026 in Japan.
Indian wrestler Dipanshi saw her Asian Games 2026 campaign come to a heartbreaking end on Friday. Competing in the women's 50kg freestyle bronze medal match, she was defeated by Kazakhstan's Zeinep Bayanova with a final score of 4-11.
A rollercoaster battle on the mat
The match began with both athletes displaying caution, but Dipanshi managed to strike first. She successfully threw Bayanova to the mat, earning two crucial points to take an early lead on the scoreboard. However, the momentum shifted almost instantly.
Bayanova responded aggressively, turning the Indian wrestler onto her front to secure two points of her own. The intensity of the match led to a moment of concern when Dipanshi was issued a yellow card for remaining on the mat for too long. This lapse allowed Bayanova to capitalize, turning Dipanshi over once more to extend her lead.
The bout was briefly interrupted as Dipanshi required medical attention before she could continue. Despite the setback, the Indian athlete showed immense resilience. She executed a brilliant two-point move that brought the score to 4-7, momentarily giving hope to the Indian contingent.
Ultimately, Bayanova proved too strong in the closing stages. The Kazakh wrestler executed a decisive four-point maneuver to seal the victory, ending the contest at 11-4 and leaving Dipanshi without a medal.
Sujeet Kalkal makes history with gold
While the women's bout ended in disappointment, the Indian wrestling squad celebrated a monumental achievement earlier in the day. Sujeet Kalkal secured a historic gold medal in the men's freestyle 65kg category at the Aichi-Nagoya games.
Kalkal's victory was nothing short of miraculous. Trailing 2-9 with only one minute and 40 seconds remaining on the clock, he staged a stunning comeback. Through a series of relentless takedowns, he overturned the deficit and snatched the gold medal with just eleven seconds left in the final against Tajikistan's Abdulmazhid Kudiev.
This triumph marks India's first Asian Games gold in wrestling since the legendary performances of Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang edition.