Asian Wrestling Championships 2025: Nitesh Secures Bronze in Greco-Roman 97kg
Jordan/Patiala, 27 March (Sports Desk)
Nitesh claimed his first senior continental medal, a bronze, in the Greco-Roman 97kg category at the Asian Wrestling Championships 2025 held in Amman, Jordan, on Wednesday. His achievement marked India’s second medal in the Greco-Roman events, concluding the country’s campaign in this style with two bronze medals.
The 22-year-old wrestler began his day dominantly, defeating Kazakhstan’s Ilyas Guchigov 9-0 via technical superiority (VSU) in his opening bout. However, in the semi-finals, he faced a tough challenge from reigning Olympic champion Mohammad Hadi Saravi of Iran, losing 9-0 (VSU). Undeterred, Nitesh bounced back in the bronze medal match, overpowering Turkmenistan’s Amanberdi Agamammedov with another 9-0 (VSU) victory to secure India’s second medal of the tournament. Earlier, Sunil Kumar had clinched bronze in the Greco-Roman 87kg category on Tuesday.
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In the 97kg final, Mohammad Hadi Saravi triumphed over Japan’s Yuri Nakazato to take home the gold medal.
India’s other Greco-Roman wrestlers—Sumit (60kg), Neeraj (67kg), Kuldeep Malak (72kg), and Rahul (82kg)—failed to reach the podium. Neeraj came closest, earning a spot in the bronze medal match via repechage after a quarter-final loss to Kyrgyzstan’s Razzak Beishekeev by technical superiority. Despite a strong start with a 3-1 win over Iraq’s Ali Abbas Mukasr Albidhan, Neeraj fell 5-0 to Japan’s Asian Games champion Katsuaki Endo in the medal bout. Meanwhile, Sumit, Kuldeep Malak, and Rahul were unable to advance to the medal rounds.
Looking ahead, India’s Paris 2024 Olympians Reetika Hooda (women’s 76kg) and Antim Panghal (women’s 53kg) are set to compete on Thursday and Friday, respectively, as the championships continue.
