IOA names Kumkum Mohod, Sujeet Kalkal best female and male sportspersons of Asian Games

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has named 17-year-old archer Kumkum Mohod and wrestler Sujeet Kalkal as the best female and male sportspersons of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, instituting two new awards to recognise their standout performances at the continental event.

Mohod, who became the first recipient of the Jaspal Rana Award, and Kalkal, who received the Raja Randhir Singh Award, were selected for their medal-winning performances in archery and wrestling. IOA President PT Usha had announced the two awards to recognise exceptional performances at the Games and honour the legacy of two stalwarts of Indian sport who died earlier this year.

India finished fourth in the overall medal tally in Japan with 85 medals, including 21 gold, 27 silver and 37 bronze.

Mohod, competing in her maiden Asian Games, won three medals, including two gold, and played a key role in India's breakthrough in women's recurve archery against South Korea.

She teamed up with Ankita Bhakat and Kirti to win the women's recurve team gold, ending South Korea's seven-edition winning streak in the event dating back to the 1998 Bangkok Asian Games.

The following day, Mohod won the individual recurve gold, ensuring that South Korea's women finished an Asian Games without a recurve gold for the first time in the history of the competition. Her individual victory also secured a quota place for India for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Usha said Mohod's award was particularly fitting given Jaspal Rana's emergence as a young star at the 1994 Asian Games.

"It is fitting that Kumkum is the first recipient of the Jaspal Rana Award, as Jaspal too burst onto the scene as a prodigy at the 1994 Asian Games. Her composure under pressure and her ability to find her best form when her back was to the wall augur extremely well for Indian Archery," Usha said.

She said Mohod and her recurve teammates had strengthened India's prospects of winning an Olympic medal in the discipline.

Kalkal, 23, won the men's 65kg freestyle wrestling gold, continuing India's strong record in the weight category at the Asian Games. Olympic medallists Yogeshwar Dutt and Bajrang Punia had won the same title at the previous two editions in 2014 and 2018 respectively.

Kalkal defeated reigning Olympic champion Kotaro Kiyooka of Japan in the semifinal before producing a late comeback against Abdulmazhid Kudiyev in the final.

Trailing 2-9 with little time remaining, Kalkal mounted a late surge to win 10-9 and secure India's first wrestling gold medal of the Games.

"Wrestling is India's sport, and Sujeet's performance will be spoken of for years to come. The Gold medal will be celebrated, but his never-say-die attitude and refusal to accept Silver have earned him a special place in the hearts of all Indians," Usha said.

The IOA chief also backed Kalkal to target India's first Olympic gold medal in wrestling at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

The IOA is expected to felicitate both athletes at a ceremony in the coming days.