Wrestling has long been one of India's most reliable medal engines at the Asian Games, and this year's contingent heading to Aichi-Nagoya carries genuine podium threats across both freestyle and the women's category. Here are the five names worth tracking once the mats open.
1. Aman Sehrawat - Men's Freestyle 57kg
India's Paris Olympics bronze medallist arrives as the clearest gold-medal hope in the entire wrestling squad. Sehrawat has built his reputation on a style that pairs elite stamina with tactical, defensively sound wrestling - the exact combination needed to break down the continent's toughest opponents over a full bout rather than in isolated bursts. With wrestling historically one of India's strongest medal-contributing sports at the Games, Sehrawat carries a disproportionate
share of expectation into Nagoya, and for good reason: few Indian wrestlers enter this cycle with both an Olympic medal and consistent recent form behind them.
2. Sujeet Kalkal - Men's Freestyle 65kg
Kalkal's rise this year has been the standout breakout story in India's freestyle setup. The reigning Asian Champion also climbed to World No. 1 in 2026, making this genuinely his strongest season to date - and he'll carry that momentum straight into his Asian Games debut. Widely regarded as India's next major freestyle star, Kalkal doesn't have the continental pedigree of some of his teammates yet, but his current form suggests that gap won't last long. Alongside Sehrawat, he's expected to be one of India's two strongest individual medal chances in wrestling this cycle.
3. Deepak Punia - Men's Freestyle 97kg
A genuine veteran presence in this squad, Punia returns to the Asian Games as a silver medallist from the 2022 edition, where he competed in the 86kg category. He's since moved up a weight class to 97kg, a shift that adds an element of uncertainty to his campaign, but his track record as the only Indian wrestler to reach a final at the previous Asiad makes him a reliable podium threat regardless of category. For a squad otherwise leaning on rising talent, Punia's experience against elite continental opposition is a genuine asset.
4. Antim Panghal - Women's Freestyle 53kg
Panghal enters Nagoya as one of India's brightest medal prospects across any sport, not just wrestling. A two-time World Championship bronze medallist (2023 and 2025) and a former U20 World Champion, she's also already won Grand Prix gold this year - a result that positions her well heading into the Games. Her explicit goal this cycle is to convert her existing Asian Games bronze into gold, and she's structured her season specifically around that target, even skipping two Ranking Series events to arrive in Japan fully fit. Technically, she's regarded as one of the more polished wrestlers in India's women's contingent, which only sharpens the case for an upgraded finish this time.
5. Manisha Bhanwala - Women's Freestyle 57kg
Bhanwala arrives in Nagoya with arguably the strongest single result of anyone on this list heading into the Games: a historic gold at the Asian Wrestling Championships this year. That kind of continental-level win against the same regional opposition she'll face at the Asiad gives her result real predictive weight, and it's placed her squarely among India's momentum picks for a maiden Asian Games medal.
