3 min readUpdated: Apr 7, 2026 11:07 PM IST
Maybe, it was the big-match nerves that got the better of Indian Greco-Roman wrestler Lalit in the final of the 55 kg at the Asian Championships in Kyrgyzstan. But for coach Kuldeep Singh, the loss came with a silver lining.
On Tuesday, Lalit, 23, lost 0-9 to the two-time Asian Championships medallist Ikhtiyor Botirov to settle for silver, his first-ever senior championships medal. Despite the disheartening technical superiority loss, this was a memorable outing for the Panipat wrestler, who had taken down the 2025 World Championships medallist and World No.4 Huoying Shi of China in the semi-finals.
Coach Kuldeep was pleased that his ward achieved the goal of making it to the podium. “The Uzbek wrestler (Botirov) is an experienced one. I think in such high-voltage finals the experience comes into play,” he told The Indian Express. “Lalit is a technical wrestler but he needs to work on power. Now, we know that if he needs to win consistently at the Asian level, he needs to improve his power. Our target was to get on the podium and I am very pleased that he achieved that alongside putting on some impressive performances.”
Kuldeep slots Lalit among the few technically superior Greco-Roman in the country but he went on to concede that he was the second-best on the day. Botirov executed his plans better than Lalit and was in a position of advantage very early in the contest.
The Uzbek had gained a par terre (ground position) after Lalit was penalised for passivity, not doing enough to win points. This resulted in the Indian wrestler forced to go hands and knees (bottom/passive) while his rival got the dominating top position. After Lalit conceded a par terre, Botirov was relentless and didn’t give the Indian any chance. He rolled him over four times to win the final 9-0 on technical superiority.
“Lalit has been part of the Indian camp for the past four years. In his first senior championships, he has produced a brilliant performance. I know he didn’t win the gold but the semi-final bout against the World Championships medallist was very dominant,” Hargobind, the Indian coach present in Bishkek, told this newspaper. “He showed good composure. The bout before the semi-final against Japanese wrestler (Mizuki Araki) was a mature one. Despite going down early in the bout, Lalit made a comeback and these are good signs for senior level,” he added.
The wrestler, who trains at Raipur Sports akhada, had a bumpy road from the akhada to the Asian podium. Lalit had lost his mother early in life and grew up without any support from his father towards his wrestling journey.
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He was mentored and adopted by the family of Vijay Gahlawat, who is also a Greco-Roman wrestler. Despite Lalit losing in the final, Vijay could barely control his emotions. “I can’t tell you how happy I am. Representing India and winning a medal at the Asian level is no small feat,” said Vijay. “We will be there to receive him at the airport on 10th and there will definitely be celebrations.”
Other Indian medallists:
Sunil Kumar, 87kg category, Greco-Roman
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