NAGOYA: Sujeet Kalkal underlined his growing supremacy in the men's 65kg category by clinching the Asian Games gold here on Friday, defeating an Olympic champion en route to the title and erasing a massive 2-9 deficit in the final to add yet another crown to his tally in a stunning year of domination.
Stronger Iranian and Japanese rivals were expected to make life tough for Sujeet in a tricky draw but it was Tajikistan's Abdulmazhid Kudiev who tested the Indian most by racing to a 9-2 lead.
Using his tremendous speed and technical skills, Sujeet found a way to make a dramatic turnaround and prevail 10-9, scoring eight points in a row and holding off his rival.
Kudiev did not let Sujeet attack by employing arm locks in the first period. Once Sujeet got a measure of his rival's style he did not let him make any attacking move.
While Kudiev matched the Indian with strength, Sujeet trumped his rival with speed as he repeatedly went behind the Tajikistan to effect take-down moves.
One after another successful moves reduced the deficit to 8-9 and with about 20 seconds left in the bout, Sujeet found a decisive take down and defended his one-point lead to emerge winner.
Before that thrilling final, Sujeet outclassed Afghanistan's Sayed Omar Zazai by technical superiority (13-3) to begin his campaign and produced a clinical performance against Iran's Abbas Ebrahimzadehsavadkouhi in the quarterfinal, winning by technical superiority without losing a point.
He then prevailed 3-3 on criteria against Japanese Olympic champion Kotaro Kiyooka in the semifinal.
It was a near perfect show of strength, tactical acumen, and endurance.
It is Sujeet's first Asian Games gold and the 23-year-old Indian has now swept the U23 World Championships, Asian Championships, Zagreb Open, Tirana title in the last 12 months, winning virtually everything that has come his way.
His only setback came at the Mongolian Open in June, where a knee injury forced him to withdraw, but otherwise Sujeet has been unbeaten in his pursuit of the biggest titles on offer.
Sujeet was a worthy candidate for the Hangzhou Games also but he was not allowed to challenge Bajrang Punia in trials by the ad-hoc committee, which awarded a direct entry to Bajrang.
Sujeet had even challenged the ad-hoc committee's decision in the court but could not get relief. Incidentally, Bajrang was first Indian men's freestyle wrestler to win a gold at Asian Games in 2018 Jakarta edition.
Sujeet has only got stronger by the day and will be a worthy Olympic medal contender in 2028.
In his bout against Olympic champion Kiyooka, Sujeet trailed 0-2 at the end of the first period but scored three points in the second period in a tight semifinal while the Japanese added one more.
The two wrestlers were tied 3-3 at the end but Sujeet was declared a winner on criteria, having scored a bigger scoring move.
In his first bout, Zazai found a two-pointer and then pushed the Indian out to take a 3-0 lead. The Indian, however, quickly turned the bout around with a push-out (PO) and a shoulder throw to move ahead 5-3.
He then added four more points with another throw and a roll to complete victory and progress to the quarterfinals.
Against Abbas, Sujeet made his intentions clear within the opening 20 seconds, executing a shoulder throw from a standing position. He was initially awarded four points but the move was revised to two as Abbas did not land in a danger position.
Sujeet soon came close to securing a fall, but Abbas managed to escape, with the Indian adding two more points.
When the Iranian attempted a leg attack, Sujeet countered effectively to move 6-0 ahead. Abbas struggled to mount any sustained attack as the Indian repeatedly thwarted his attempts with headlocks.
Sujeet converted another right-leg attack into points to take an imposing 8-0 lead at the end of the first period.
The Indian needed little time in the second period, executing another takedown to complete a 10-0 technical superiority win and book his place in the semi-finals.
Young Indian wrestler Dipanshi Phogat, who is still coming through the junior ranks, suffered a technical superiority (0-10) defeat against one of the most accomplished women wrestlers in Japanese Yui Susaki, in the women's 50kg pre-quarterfinal.
But since Susaki made the final, Dipanshi bounced back in medal contention.
Competing in only her second senior international tournament, Dipanshi won the repechage round 10-0 against Cambodia's Samnang Ditand but went down fighting against Kazakhstan's Zeinip Bayanova in the bronze play-off in which she was pinned.
Despite the defeat, the 18-year-old showed promise with her fighting spirit against a very experienced opponent.
Rajat exited the men's 125kg competition after losing his pre-quarterfinal 3-8 to Kazakhstan's Yedige Kassimbekin.
Priya was also eliminated after losing 1-6 to Kyrgyzstan's Aiperi Medet Kyzy in the women's 76kg pre-quarterfinal.
Olympic bronze medallist Aman Sehrawat (57kg), Deepak Punia (97kg), Antim Panghal (women's 53kg) and Manisha Bhanwala (women's 65kg) will compete on Saturday.