Rahnuma:Asian Games: ‘I did it for my father,’ says Nitesh Siwach after historic Greco-Roman silver
Nagoya, Oct 1 (IANS) Indian wrestler Nitesh Siwach said his silver medal at the Asian Games 2026 was a moment he had worked towards throughout his journey, dedicating the achievement to his father after becoming only the second Indian to reach a Greco-Roman wrestling final at the continental showpiece.
Nitesh narrowly missed out on gold after losing to Japan’s Yuri Nakazato in the men’s 97 kg final at the Nagoya City Inae Sports Centre on Thursday. His silver, however, ended India’s 64-year wait for a Greco-Roman wrestling finalist at the Asian Games.
“Honestly, I still can’t believe it; I have won a silver medal at the Asian Games. My father always told me there was no looking back once I started this journey, that I had to bring home a medal, and today, I did it for him,” Nitesh said after his historic achievement.
Nitesh entered the final having produced two dominant performances in the knockout stages. He defeated Turkmenistan’s Amanberdi Agamammedov 7-1 in the quarterfinals before overpowering Mongolia’s Ganbaataryn Gankhuyag 9-0 in the semifinal.
His run to the final made him the first Indian since Maruti Mane at the 1962 Asian Games to reach the gold-medal bout in Greco-Roman wrestling. Mane had won silver in the same weight category 64 years ago.
Nitesh said the pressure of breaking new ground in his weight category only strengthened his resolve. “No one from my weight category had ever won a medal here before, so there was a lot of pressure, but I trusted my training and gave everything I had,” he said.
The final proved more difficult, with Nakazato taking a 2-0 lead after Nitesh was penalised for passivity. The Japanese wrestler extended his advantage to 4-0 in the second period and maintained control to secure gold.
Despite falling short of the top prize, Nitesh said the support he received throughout his preparation played a major role in his success. “I am so thankful to Inspire Institute of Sport. Whatever I needed – travel, nutrition, physiotherapy – they were always there for me,” he said.
Nitesh, who arrived in Nagoya as a 2026 Asian Championships silver medallist, said the medal carried special significance after years of effort. “Maine apne desh ka Tiranga lehra diya,” he added.
The silver also marks a major breakthrough for Indian Greco-Roman wrestling, with Nitesh becoming only the second Indian in history to reach an Asian Games final in the discipline.
–IANS
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