Nitesh Siwach Wins Silver at Asian Games 2026: Greco-Roman 97kg Final Report
Nitesh Siwach won silver in the men's Greco-Roman 97kg category at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, after a 0-4 loss to Japan's Yuri Nakazato in the gold medal bout on 1 October 2026. He is the first Indian Greco-Roman wrestler to reach an Asian Games final since 1962, ending a 64-year wait
Path to the final: The 23-year-old beat Turkmenistan's Amanberdi Agamammedov 7-1 in the quarterfinal and Mongolia's Gankhuyag Ganbaatar 9-0 in the semifinal. He is also the 2026 Asian Championships silver medallist and a 2025 Asian Championships bronze medallist.
Nitesh Siwach at Asian Games 2026: Historic Silver Medal
Nitesh Siwach made his Asian Games debut at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan and left with a silver medal in the men's Greco-Roman 97kg category. His 9-0 semifinal win over Mongolia's Gankhuyag Ganbaatar made him the first Indian Greco-Roman wrestler in 64 years to reach an Asian Games final, a wait that dates back to the 1962 Jakarta Games.
The gold medal bout went to Japan's Yuri Nakazato, so India's wait for a Greco-Roman gold at the Asian Games continues. Even so, Nitesh is the first Indian Greco-Roman wrestler to reach an Asian Games final since the 1962 Jakarta Games, where Maruti Mane won silver in the same 97kg category. Read our complete guide to Asian Games 2026 in Nagoya, Japan, check the Asian Games 2026 India schedule, and see where to watch Asian Games 2026 live in India. See the full Asian Games 2026 wrestling schedule for every India bout.
Asian Games 2026 Medal Tally
Check the latest Asian Games 2026 medal standings with country-wise rankings, gold medals, total medals and India's current position.
Nitesh Siwach: Greco-Roman Wrestler from Haryana
Nitesh Siwach is a 23-year-old Indian Greco-Roman wrestler from Jagsi village in Haryana's Panipat district, competing in the 97kg category. He won bronze at the 2025 Asian Wrestling Championships, silver at the 2026 edition, and added an Asian Games silver in his first appearance at the Games.
Nitesh Siwach vs Yuri Nakazato: Asian Games 2026 Final Match Report
The men's Greco-Roman 97kg gold medal bout was held on 1 October 2026 at the Nagoya City Inae Sports Center, with the final scheduled for 7:05 pm local time (3:35 pm IST). Nitesh Siwach faced Japan's Yuri Nakazato, the 2025 Asian Championships silver medallist, in front of a home crowd supporting the Japanese wrestler.
First Period: Nakazato Takes a 2-0 Lead
Nakazato scored the first two points after Nitesh was penalised for passivity midway through the opening period. The Indian was then forced into a defensive position as the Japanese wrestler looked to add to his lead, but Nitesh held firm and stopped the deficit from growing. He went into the break trailing 0-2.
Second Period: Nakazato Extends to 4-0
Nakazato kept control of the tempo in the final three minutes and did not let Nitesh settle into an attacking rhythm. He stretched the lead to 4-0 by bundling Nitesh over and briefly tried to pin him. Nitesh resisted, avoided being pinned and stayed in the bout, but the Japanese wrestler managed the rest of the contest to win gold.
Result and Reaction
The final finished Nakazato 4-0 Nitesh Siwach. Nitesh had spoken about wanting to make history by winning gold, and although that did not happen, he ended India's 64-year wait for a Greco-Roman finalist at the Asian Games.
| Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Quarterfinal | Amanberdi Agamammedov (Turkmenistan) | Won 7-1 |
| Semifinal | Gankhuyag Ganbaatar (Mongolia) | Won 9-0 (TSU) |
| Gold Medal Bout | Yuri Nakazato (Japan) | Lost 0-4 (Silver) |
Nitesh Siwach Matches at Asian Games 2026
Nitesh Siwach's quarterfinal, semifinal and final were all wrestled on 1 October 2026 at the Nagoya City Inae Sports Center. He opened the day with a 7-1 win over Agamammedov, taking a 7-0 lead in the first period. He then dominated Ganbaatar 9-0 to win by technical superiority and book his place in the final.
🥈 Final Result
Silver Medal- Tournament
- Asian Games 2026, Nagoya
- Event
- Men's Greco-Roman 97kg
- Winner
- Yuri Nakazato (JPN)
- Score
- Nakazato 4-0 Nitesh
- Date
- 1 Oct 2026
📊 Recent Form
- Asian Games, Final vs Nakazato (0-4)SILVER
- Asian Games, Semifinal vs Ganbaatar (9-0 TSU)WON
- Asian Games, Quarterfinal vs Agamammedov (7-1)WON
- Asian Championships 2026, Final vs SaraviSILVER
Nitesh Siwach Early Life: From Kabaddi to Wrestling
Nitesh Siwach comes from Jagsi village in Panipat district, Haryana. In 2012 he went to Pratap School intending to play kabaddi, but his father, a milkman who had always dreamed of seeing his son become a wrestler, steered him toward the wrestling programme there.
After about two years of training, a knee operation interrupted his progress, and he spent nearly two years helping his father with daily milk deliveries. He eventually asked his family for six months to make one more attempt at wrestling, won a medal at the School Nationals, and worked his way back into the senior ranks.
Nitesh Siwach Age
Nitesh Siwach is 23 years old as of October 2026, according to match reports from the Asian Games.
Nitesh Siwach Career: Asian Games and Asian Championships Medals
- 2025: Bronze in the 97kg Greco-Roman category at the Asian Wrestling Championships in Amman, Jordan, his first senior continental medal. He lost his semifinal 0-9 to Iran's Mohammad Hadi Saravi, then won the bronze bout 9-0 over Turkmenistan's Amanberdi Agamammedov.
- 2026: Gold in the 97kg category at the Ulaanbaatar Open, beating Kazakhstan's Nurassyl Amanaly 13-9 in the final.
- 2026: Silver at the Asian Wrestling Championships in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, losing the 97kg final to defending champion Saravi.
- 2026: Silver at the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya on debut, losing the final 0-4 to Yuri Nakazato.
| Year | Competition | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Asian Championships, Amman | Greco-Roman 97kg | Bronze |
| 2026 | Ulaanbaatar Open | Greco-Roman 97kg | Gold |
| 2026 | Asian Championships, Bishkek | Greco-Roman 97kg | Silver |
| 2026 | Asian Games, Aichi-Nagoya | Greco-Roman 97kg | Silver |
Nitesh Siwach's Rivals in the 97kg Category
Iran's Mohammad Hadi Saravi has been Siwach's toughest opponent, beating him in the 2025 Asian Championships semifinal and the 2026 Asian Championships final. At the Asian Games, Japan's Yuri Nakazato proved too strong in the gold medal bout, winning 4-0. On the way to the final, Siwach beat Gankhuyag Ganbaatar of Mongolia 9-0 in the semifinal.
India's Wrestling Campaign Alongside Nitesh Siwach
Sunil Kumar Bronze
Greco-Roman 87kg
Nitesh Siwach Silver
Greco-Roman 97kg, lost final 0-4
Mansi Ahlawat
Women's 62kg, lost bronze bout 2-4
Mansi Ahlawat lost her semifinal 0-6 to Japan's Nonoka Ozaki and then lost the bronze medal bout 2-4 to Mongolia's Altjin Togtokh, while Greco-Roman wrestlers Sumit and Aman Baroniya were eliminated in the quarterfinals.
Why Nitesh Siwach's Silver Matters
- First Indian Greco-Roman wrestler in an Asian Games final since Maruti Mane's silver in the same 97kg category in 1962
- Matches Maruti Mane's 1962 result: silver in Greco-Roman 97kg
- Returned from a knee operation and a two-year break to reach the Asian Games podium
From delivering milk with his father in Haryana to an Asian Games silver medal in Nagoya, Nitesh Siwach's journey is one of the biggest stories of India's wrestling campaign at Asian Games 2026.