Asian Games 2026: Deepak Punia adds bronze to his collection

Deepak Punia in action during the Men's Freestyle 97kg semifinal bout against Uzbekistan's Sherzod Poyonov on October 3, 2026. | Photo Credit: Reuters Wrestler Deepak Punia added a second Asian Games medal to his collection, securing the men’s 97kg bronze with a 2-1 victory over Mongolia’s Gankhuyang Ganbataar in Nagoya on Saturday (October 3, 2026).The 27-year-old Indian, who had won silver at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, had earlier missed out on a place in the final after suffering a narrow 8-9 defeat to Uzbekistan’s Sherzod Poyonov in the semifinals.Asian Games 2026 LIVE updatesMoving to 97kg from 86kg weight division, Deepak had begun his campaign with a commanding 12-2 technical superiority win over China's Junpeng Zhou before receiving a walkover from Hong Kong’s Vincent Fung Wui Li to enter the semifinals.The bronze adds to a decent international record for Deepak, who won a silver at the 2019 World Championships, and has five Asian Championships medals to his credit. Published - October 03, 2026 04:37 pm IST