Nitesh Siwach Ends India’s 64-Year Wait With Historic Greco-Roman Silver at Asian Games

Haryana wrestler Nitesh Siwach has etched his name in Indian wrestling history by winning a silver medal in the men’s 97kg Greco-Roman category at the 2026 Asian Games. His run to the final ended India’s 64-year wait for an Indian Greco-Roman wrestler to reach the Asian Games gold-medal bout. Nitesh defeated Turkmenistan’s Amanberdi Agamammedov 7-1 in the quarterfinal and Mongolia’s Ganbaataryn Gankhuyag 9-0 in the semifinal before losing 0-4 to Japan’s Yuri Nakazato in the final.

Nitesh’s journey to the Asian Games podium has been marked by several challenges. Hailing from Jagsi village in Haryana’s Sonipat district, he initially preferred cricket and later showed interest in kabaddi before gradually taking up wrestling. A serious knee injury during his teenage years forced him to undergo surgery and stay away from the sport for an extended period. During his break, he helped his family with their dairy business and delivered milk in Panipat. He eventually returned to wrestling under coaches Om Prakash Dahiya and Sandeep and went on to win a 2019 Asian Cadet silver, a 2022 U23 World Championship bronze and medals at the senior Asian Championships before his historic Asian Games silver.