Asian Games champion Sujeet working on ground game for Olympic push

Asian Games champion Sujeet Kalkal is working on strengthening his ground game to complement the aggressive style that helped him win the men's 65kg freestyle gold in Nagoya, with the wrestler already looking ahead to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Sujeet said his coaches have identified attacking from ground positions and defending better as areas that need improvement as he prepares for the next Olympic cycle.

"First of all, the situations that frequently come in my bouts, I have to work on those more. On the ground, my coach has told me that there is a little weakness, so in the future, I will attack from the ground and defend well," the 23-year-old Haryana wrestler said during a virtual interaction organised by the Sports Authority of India.

Sujeet's Asian Games triumph was built on a more aggressive approach that he developed under national freestyle coach Emzarios "Shako" Bentinidis.

The coach had earlier made him realise that he needed to attack more despite winning a competition in Russia.

"I thought that if I have an attack, then I should do it. In this match, I attacked and scored in every bout," Sujeet said.

That attacking mindset proved crucial in the Asian Games final, where he fought back after falling 2-9 behind and eventually clinched the gold.

Sujeet said his approach was to remain in the contest until the final second, regardless of the scoreline.

"If I am losing, then it is my duty to fight till my last breath. Whatever power is left in us, I will give it my all," he said.

The Asian Games title has also helped Sujeet move on from the disappointment of missing the Paris Olympics, after India failed to secure a quota in his category.

He recalled that circumstances beyond his control, including floods that prevented him from reaching the Olympic qualification event, contributed to him missing out on Paris.

"What happened in Paris, it was God's will. We can't do anything about it. We will try our best not to focus too much on the past. We will focus on our present and future," he said.

With Paris behind him, Sujeet has set his sights on the ultimate prize at Los Angeles.

"The Olympics is the dream of every sportsperson. To become an Olympic champion, to keep our country's flag at the top. So, if we are preparing for the Olympics, then go for gold," he said.

For now, the focus is on refining the technical aspects of his wrestling without losing the attacking instinct that brought him Asian Games glory.