Nitesh Siwach ends long wait, wins silver in Greco-Roman wrestling at Asian Games

NEW DELHI: Nitesh Siwach's wait for a Greco-Roman wrestling gold medal at the Asian Games will continue after he settled for silver following a defeat to Japan's Yuri Nakazato on Thursday.Nitesh was beaten 0-4 by the local favourite in the men's 97kg final.The Indian tried to take control early with a two-on-one grip, but Nakazato kept him under pressure and did not allow him to launch an attack.Nakazato takes early leadNakazato opened the scoring by pushing Nitesh out of the mat.Nitesh was then put into the ground position for passivity. However, he defended well and did not allow the Japanese wrestler to get a strong enough grip to score with a gut wrench.Nakazato finished the first period with a 2-0 lead. He also kept Nitesh in a headlock towards the end of the period and continued to control the action.Nitesh unable to fight backNakazato increased the pressure in the second period. He disbalanced Nitesh with a push and quickly turned the move into a successful takedown.That took the Japanese wrestler's lead to 4-0 and put Nitesh in a difficult position.With only a minute left, Nitesh needed to attack and find points, but Nakazato's defence remained strong. The Indian could not break through and was forced to settle for silver.India's wait continuesIndia's wait for a Greco-Roman gold medal at the Asian Games will now continue.India had last won Greco-Roman gold in 1962, when Malwa Singh won the 52kg title and Ganpat Andalkar claimed gold in the over-97kg category in Jakarta.Nitesh had the chance to end that long wait in Nagoya, but Nakazato's disciplined performance denied him the top spot.Stay updated with the latest Asian Games 2026 news, check the Asian Games medal tally and complete Asian Games schedule.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.