Aman Sehrawat won India’s second freestyle wrestling gold at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya on Oct. 3, beating DPR Korea’s World Champion Han Chong Song 11-7 in the men’s 57-kilogram final. Sehrawat came back from a 6-7 deficit to claim the title. A four-point move and another point after Han’s unsuccessful challenge turned the bout around.
The comeback in the final
The wrestlers stayed level early. Sehrawat defended against Han’s repeated attacks and moved 6-1 ahead just after halftime. Han answered with a counterattack, scoring six points in quick succession to take a 7-6 lead. The Indian wrestler trailed as the final entered its closing stages.
Less than a minute remained. Sehrawat pinned and turned Han to regain the lead, then held on through the rest of the bout to win 11-7. The result gave Sehrawat the men’s 57-kilogram freestyle gold, denying Han the final’s win despite his late scoring surge.
Injury delays affected the match. After one delay, Sehrawat quickly built his 6-1 advantage. A later break for Han was followed by the North Korean wrestler regaining momentum and moving ahead 7-6. The scoring shifted sharply after each interruption, with Sehrawat’s decisive late move restoring his lead before time expired.
India’s second freestyle gold
The victory was India’s second freestyle wrestling gold at these Games. Sujeet Kalkal won the 65-kilogram gold on Friday. Sehrawat’s victory added the 57-kilogram title, giving India gold in two freestyle categories reported in the article.
For Sehrawat, the victory was his second Asian Games medal. He won bronze in the same category at Hangzhou 2022. The Oct. 3 final moved him from bronze to gold in the 57-kilogram competition, with the title decided by his recovery from a one-point deficit against the reigning World Champion.
A final decided in its closing minute
Han’s six-point response changed the bout after Sehrawat took control at 6-1. Han’s counterattack put him ahead 7-6, and Sehrawat needed to score again to reverse the result. His four-point move and the additional point after Han’s unsuccessful challenge brought him back into contention; the pin and turn with less than a minute left restored his lead.
Sehrawat protected the advantage until the end. The final score was 11-7. The victory secured the Asian Games freestyle gold for India’s 57-kilogram wrestler and made Sehrawat a two-time Asian Games medalist, following his bronze in the same category at Hangzhou 2022.