Pincky Balhara becomes India’s Kurash legend with bronze in Nagoya

Pincky Balhara won a bronze medal for India in Kurash at the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya on September 28, 2026, after progressing to the semifinals. She beat Garam Lim in the quarterfinals to guarantee a podium place but was defeated by Sumin Mo in the semifinal.

Balhara first reached the Asian Games podium in 2018 when she took silver in Kurash at Jakarta. She hails from Neb Sarai in Delhi and was aiming for gold in Nagoya before her semifinal loss.

Her quarterfinal victory over Garam Lim secured India a medal in the event, but Balhara sustained a knee injury during that bout which affected her next match. "I got injured in the quarterfinal match, got hit on the knee. My opponent in the quarterfinal was also a Korean. So, my semifinal opponent knew that I got injured on my right knee. "I was attacking but she was hitting me there (on her knee) again and again. So, I lost on penalty," said a sobbing Balhara from Neb Sarai in Delhi, according to PTI.

Competing in the women’s -78kg division in Nagoya, Balhara was only in her second bout at 78kg at international level. "This is only my second bout in 78kg and before that I competed in Asian Championships in Uzbekistan in May. That was my first in 78kg." Earlier in 2026 she won silver at the Senior Asian Cup in Uzbekistan and then took gold at the 2026 Senior Nationals.

Balhara’s international medal collection spans more than a decade: gold at the 2015 Junior Asia Championship in Taipei, silver at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, and gold at the 2024 World Nomad Games in Astana, Kazakhstan. She has represented India at junior and senior international events since 2015.

Her sporting background began in judo, where she won gold medals at the Asian Cup and the Asian Junior Championships prior to the 2018 Asian Games, but she missed selection for India’s judo squad for the Jakarta Games and moved her focus to Kurash thereafter. That switch produced her maiden Asian Games medal in Kurash in 2018.

Balhara’s bronze in Nagoya adds to her record of international medals and, as noted in coverage, has given India and the sport of Kurash a major lift at the Asian Games. She has established herself as a prominent name in Indian Kurash, having represented the country across junior and senior-level international events since 2015.