India’s Pincky Balhara achieved a historic feat at Asian Games 2026. She won a medal in Kurash, a sport with a 3500-year-old history.
This achievement became special because no Indian had won multiple Kurash medals at the Asian Games before. Pincky secured a bronze medal in the women’s 78 kg category.
Pincky Balhara Becomes First Indian With Multiple Kurash Medals
Pincky Balhara had already created history in Kurash during the 2018 Asian Games. She won a silver medal in that edition.
Now, she added a bronze medal at Asian Games 2026. Therefore, she became the first Indian athlete with more than one Kurash medal.
This marked India’s third overall Kurash medal at the Asian Games. Earlier, Malaprabha Jadhav won India’s other bronze medal in 2018.
Jadhav secured that medal in the women’s 52 kg event at the Asian Games 2018.
How Pincky Secured Her Bronze Medal
The 2018 Asian Games silver medallist defeated South Korea’s Lim Geum in the quarterfinal. Pincky won the match with a 3-0 scoreline.
Lim Geum entered the contest as an Asian Championship silver medallist. After this victory, Pincky reached the women’s 78 kg semifinal.
Moreover, her semifinal entry confirmed her medal position. However, she lost the semifinal match later.
As a result, Pincky could not change her bronze medal into a higher-ranked medal.
Kurash: The Ancient Wrestling Form
Kurash is an ancient wrestling style with a history of 3500 years. The sport originated in Uzbekistan.
Additionally, wrestlers compete wearing jackets with same-coloured belts over them. The sport made its Asian Games debut in Jakarta during the 2018 edition.
