February 26, New Delhi – Indian freestyle wrestler Sujeet Kalkal opened India's medal count at the Muhamet Malo Wrestling Tournament in Albania with a gold in the men's 65-kilogram freestyle category.
Kalkal secured the top spot with four consecutive victories based on technical superiority in Tirana.
He defeated Azerbaijan's Rashid Babazade 10-0 in the final after winning in the semifinals against USA's Joseph McKenna.
This was his second consecutive gold medal in the 2026 United World Wrestling Ranking Series, following his victory in Croatia earlier this month.
India sent a 48-member team for the tournament, with 16 wrestlers competing in the men's freestyle, women's, and Greco-Roman categories.