Sujeet Kalkal

Sujeet Kalkal

Kalkal at the 2022 Tunis Ranking Series
Personal information
Nationality	Indian
Born	(2003-12-01) 1 December 2003 (age 21) Sonipat, Haryana, India
Height	1.66 m (5 ft 5 in)
Sport
Sport	Wrestling
Event	Freestyle wrestling
Medal record Men's freestyle wrestling Representing   India Grand Prix 2022 Tunis 65 kg 2025 Budapest 65 kg U23 World Championships 2024 Tirana 70 kg U23 Asian Championships 2022 Bishkek 65 kg 2025 Vung Tau 65 kg U20 World Championships 2022 Sofia 65 kg U20 Asian Championships 2022 Manama 65 kg

Sujeet Kalkal (born 15 March 1999) is an Indian freestyle wrestler from Charkhi Dadri, Haryana. ^[1] Competing primarily in the 65 kg and 70 kg weight categories, he has earned recognition for his performances in international and national competitions. ^{[2] [3] [4] [1]}

Personal life

Sujeet was Trained by his father and coach, Dayanand Kalkal, Sujeet has focused on improving his strength and attacking skills, overcoming a prior ankle injury. ^{[5] [6]} His solid defense and improved mat movement have made him a strong contender in the 65 kg category, filling the void left by Bajrang Punia. ^[7]

Career

Kalkal rose to prominence with a gold medal in the 65 kg category at the 2022 U23 Asian Championships. ^[8]

In 2024, he won a bronze medal in the 70 kg category at the U23 World Wrestling Championships, contributing to India's tally of nine medals. ^{[9] [10]} His performance at the 2025 World Wrestling Championships selection trials in Lucknow showcased his counter-attacking skills, defeating opponents like Anuj (10-0) and Vishal Kaliraman (8-4) to secure his spot in the 65 kg category for the Zagreb event. ^{[11] [12]}

Kalkal's notable victories include an 8-2 win over American wrestler John Michael Diakomihalis in a 2023 World Ranking Series event. ^[13]

He has been vocal about the need for fair trial processes, criticizing direct entries for established wrestlers like Bajrang Punia for the 2023 Asian Games. ^[14]

References

1. Selvaraj, Jonathan (2025-08-04). "How a missed chance became motivation: Sujeet Kalkal's rise in wrestling". sportstar.thehindu.com. Retrieved 2025-08-05.
2. "Aman Sehrawat, Sujeet Kalkal Make The Cut For World Wrestling Championships". News18. Retrieved 2025-08-06.
3. Bureau, Sports (2025-07-18). "Ranking series wrestling: Asian U-23 champion Sujeet Kalkal secures gold". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 2025-08-06.{{cite news}}: |last= has generic name (help)
4. "Wrestling World Championship Trials: Sujeet Kalkal brings sharp counter-attacking speed to stacked 65kg field ahead of Worlds". The Indian Express. 2025-08-05. Retrieved 2025-08-06.
5. Mirza, Firoz (2024-03-11). "Losing court battle last year to winning trials for Asian Olympic Games qualifier: Wrestler Sujeet's story". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 2025-08-06.
6. "Sujeet Kalkal - a young challenger in Bajrang's weight category". Hindustan Times. 2024-02-16. Retrieved 2025-08-06.
7. Mirza, Firoz (2025-03-16). "Wrestler Sujeet restarts Olympic quest with qualification for Asian meet". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 2025-08-06.
8. Bureau, Sports (2025-07-18). "Ranking series wrestling: Asian U-23 champion Sujeet Kalkal secures gold". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 2025-08-06.{{cite news}}: |last= has generic name (help)
9. India, Press Trust of (2024-10-28). "U23 World Championship: Chirag Chikkara becomes 2nd Indian male wrestler to win gold". India Today. Retrieved 2025-08-06.
10. https://www.olympics.com/en/news/u23-world-wrestling-championships-2024-india-medal-winners-list
11. Bureau, Sports (2025-08-04). "Indian team". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 2025-08-06.{{cite news}}: |last= has generic name (help)
12. "Aman Sehrawat, Sujeet Kalkal Make The Cut For World Wrestling Championships". News18. Retrieved 2025-08-06.
13. "U23 Asian champion Sujeet Kalkal questions trial exemption for Bajrang Punia". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 2025-08-06.
14. "Asian Games: Sujeet Kalkal questions trial exemption granted to Bajrang Punia". The Times of India. 2023-07-19. ISSN   0971-8257 . Retrieved 2025-08-06.