LUCKNOW: When the mats roll out at the Sports Authority of India’s indoor stadium on Sunday for the Asian Games men’s trials, all eyes will be on the 2019 World Championships silver medallist Deepak Punia.
Once a dominant force in 86kg freestyle and silver medallist at the 2023 Asian Games, Punia aims to make a statement and a comeback that could redefine his career and help strengthen India’s medal hopes in the Games in Japan.
Punia’s career has combined elite successes with interruptions that tested his resilience. Several high-profile victories established him as a world-class wrestler, but his consistency was affected by injuries, form fluctuations and selection setbacks.
Those questions now await a high-stakes answer in Lucknow where he is back in serious contention. If he falters, younger challengers could seize the spotlight. The timing of these trials too are important. Selectors are backing wrestlers who can peak under pressure and translate domestic dominance into continental medals.
For Haryana’s Punia, 27, this trial is less about reminding selectors of past laurels and more about demonstrating current sharpness, speed of execution, tactical intelligence and prove that he has the physical conditioning needed to endure multiple bouts in a day.
Besides Punia, 2024 Paris Olympics bronze medallist Aman Sehrawat, the 65kg world No. 1 Sujeet Kalkal and multiple Asian Championships and 2023 Asian Games Greco-Roman medal-winner Sunil Kumar will also be at the trials.
Indian wrestlers won six medals in the Hangzhou Asian Games. Punia recently won the 92kg title at the Open Ranking Tournament at Gonda to show his form. Aman, who won bronze at the 2024 Paris Games, finished third in 57kg. Sunil won bronze in 87kg.
At the trials on Sunday, coaches will watch not only wins but the manner of those wins, including aggressive starts, control in par terre, and the ability to adapt mid-match. “I am expecting our wrestlers to win medals in each category, making it six from freestyle alone,” coach Vinod said on Saturday.
He said every category has a minimum of two good wrestlers and the bench strength is a sign of big improvements India have made since the last Asian Games. “Apart from Aman, 57kg has Ankush, who recently won a medal at the Asian Championships. He has won many medals at the U20 continental and world meets. The fight will be good between him and Ankush,” he added.
The field is strong as India’s domestic circuit has produced several technically sound and physically robust contenders keen to displace established names. The selection panel will ultimately balance current form, head-to-head results, and international readiness.
