Novi Sad, Serbia – In a stunning display of skill and determination, Indian wrestler Sujeet Kalkal has clinched the gold medal in the men's freestyle 65kg category at the U23 World Championships. The 22-year-old wrestler triumphed over Uzbekistan's Umidjon Jalolov with a dominant 10-0 victory in the final held on Monday.
The gold medal match lasted for four minutes and 54 seconds, with the referee declaring Kalkal the winner by superiority. Kalkal's victory marks a significant milestone as his first world title, adding to his previous achievements of two U23 Asian titles in 2022 and 2025, and one U20 Asian Championship gold in 2022. Last year, Kalkal won a bronze medal at the same championships.
Kalkal's path to the gold medal was marked by a series of impressive victories. He began his campaign with technical superiority wins against Fiodor Ceavdari of Moldova (12-2) and Dominik Jakub of Poland (11-0). In the quarterfinal, he faced Bashir Magomedov, a two-time U23 World Champion, and secured a 4-2 victory. The semifinal clash against Japan's Yuto Nishiuchi, a two-time U20 World Champion, was a nail-biting encounter, with Kalkal pulling off a stunning two-point throw in the dying moments to win 3-2.
Sujeet's performance at the U23 World Championships is one of the most remarkable performances by an Indian freestyle wrestler on the global stage. His journey to the final was nothing short of spectacular, demonstrating confidence and tactical precision.
India concluded its campaign at the U23 World Wrestling Championships 2025 with a total of nine medals, including one gold, two silver, and six bronze. Vishvajit More secured a bronze medal in the Greco-Roman 55kg category, marking his second consecutive bronze at the U23 World Championships. Priya Malik won a bronze medal in the women's freestyle 76kg division, and Neha Sharma added another bronze in the women's 57kg category.
Sujeet Kalkal's gold medal is the fourth gold medal for India at the U23 World Wrestling Championships. Aman Sehrawat (men's 57kg) won gold in 2022, Reetika Hooda (women's 76kg) in 2023, and Chirag Chikkara (men's 57kg) in 2024.
