‘Maa Sent Choorma and Kheer for Me’: Sujeet Savours Desi Taste After Asian Games Gold

Fresh from winning India’s first wrestling gold at the Asian Games since 2018, Sujeet Kalkal has traded his strict competition diet for a taste of home, with his mother’s choorma and kheer topping his post-victory menu.

The 23-year-old Haryana wrestler, who won the men’s 65kg freestyle title at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, revealed that his mother sent him the traditional dishes after his return from Japan.

“As soon as I returned, my mother sent choorma and kheer. I train in Sonepat away from home, so my mother keeps sending these things for me. After returning from Japan, I have eaten choorma and kheer the most. I miss choorma even in India because I don’t live with my mother and train away from home,” Sujeet said during a press conference organised by the Sports Authority of India.

Sujeet produced a dramatic comeback in the final, recovering from a 2-9 deficit to defeat Tajikistan’s Abdulmazhid Kudiev 10-9 and secure the gold medal.

His triumph also marked India’s first Asian Games wrestling gold since Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat won their respective titles at the 2018 Jakarta Games.

The Charkhi Dadri wrestler, who trains at SAI Sonepat, has enjoyed an unbeaten 2026 campaign. Before his Asian Games triumph, he won gold at the UWW Ranking Series in Albania in February and claimed titles at the Asian Wrestling Championships and the 2025 U23 World Championships in the 65kg category.

His journey to the Asian Games podium, however, has been marked by significant setbacks.

In 2023, Sujeet approached the High Court seeking a fair trial for the Asian Games selection after an ad hoc committee overseeing Indian wrestling granted Bajrang Punia a direct entry into the team.

Another setback came in April 2024, when Sujeet and fellow wrestler Deepak Punia were travelling to Bishkek for the Asian Olympic Qualifier. Heavy rainfall and flooding disrupted flight operations in the UAE, leaving the wrestlers stranded in Dubai. They eventually reached Bishkek after the morning weigh-in had begun and were not allowed to compete.

Asked what advice he would give his 2023 self, who was fighting for his rights in court, Sujeet said the key was to remain patient and keep working.

“Have faith in yourself and keep working hard. God may delay justice, but it is never denied. If we stay stuck in the past, our present will be hampered, nor will we perform well in the future. Let go of what is gone,” he said.

Sujeet said he has tried to follow the same approach after the disappointment in Bishkek, describing the episode as something beyond his control.

“I don’t focus much on what is already gone. That was like a natural disaster—a flood came over there, and there was nothing we could do about it. Our job is to keep trying,” he said.

The wrestler said the same mindset helped him during the Asian Games final, when he found himself trailing by seven points.

“Even when I was trailing in the final bout, my job was to fight until the very end. I put in all the power within me and won the gold for the country,” Sujeet said.