Deepak Punia wins men's 97kg bronze at 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya

Deepak Punia secured the men's 97kg bronze medal at the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya on Saturday, October 3, 2026, defeating Mongolia's Gankhuyang Ganbataar. The 27-year-old Indian added a second Asian Games medal to his collection with the result.

Punia moved up from the 86kg division to compete at 97kg in Nagoya and entered the tournament carrying the experience of a silver medal from the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games. He began his campaign with a 12-2 technical superiority victory over China's Junpeng Zhou. He then advanced to the semifinals after receiving a walkover from Hong Kong’s Vincent Fung Wui Li.

In the semifinals, Punia lost 8-9 to Uzbekistan's Sherzod Poyonov and thereby missed a place in the final.

In the bronze-medal bout, Punia defeated Mongolia's Gankhuyang Ganbataar by 2-1 to claim third place in the men's 97kg event.

The bronze contributes to Punia's broader international record, which includes a silver at the 2019 World Championships and five Asian Championships medals.

The victory on October 3, 2026, in Nagoya concludes Punia's participation in the men's 97kg competition at the Asian Games and adds another senior-level medal to his career tally.