Pakistan Wrestlers Inayat Ullah and Muhammad Gulzar Exit Asian Games
Sports Correspondent:Imran Sohail
Pakistan’s remaining wrestlers failed to secure a medal breakthrough at the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, with Inayat Ullah and Muhammad Gulzar both eliminated from their respective freestyle competitions.
Former Youth Olympics bronze medallist Inayat Ullah was knocked out of the men’s 74kg freestyle event after losing 12-2 to Kazakhstan’s Nurkozha Kaipanov in the Round of 16.
Inayat stayed competitive during the early exchanges, but Kaipanov gradually took control of the bout. The Kazakh wrestler led 6-2 after the opening period before adding another six points in the second to complete a technical superiority victory.
Kaipanov, who won gold at the 2024 World Wrestling Championships in Tirana, advanced to the next round while bringing an end to Inayat’s campaign.
Muhammad Gulzar also suffered a heavy defeat in the men’s 97kg freestyle Round of 16. He was beaten 10-0 by Iran’s Amirali Azarpira.
Azarpira established a 6-0 lead in the opening period and added four more points in the second to win by technical superiority. Gulzar was unable to register a point during the contest.
Gulzar later received an opportunity in the repechage but could not continue his campaign. Turkmenistan’s Shatlyk Hemelyayev defeated him 12-0 by technical superiority.
Hemelyayev dominated from the opening exchanges and scored 12 unanswered points to end Gulzar’s Asian Games campaign.
Pakistan Wrestling Federation president Arshad Sattar said the country needs greater exposure and stronger support to develop mat wrestling.
Speaking to The Express Tribune, Sattar said many Pakistani wrestlers come from traditional mud wrestling, while success in international mat wrestling requires a different level of preparation and resources.
Mohammad Abdullah and Noman Zaka were also unable to progress from their respective events on Friday.
Pakistan’s campaign in taekwondo also ended without a medal after Hamzah Omar Saeed was eliminated from the men’s +80kg competition.
Saeed lost 2-0 to Thailand’s Jack Mercer in Nagoya on Saturday. Mercer won the opening round 4-2 before taking the second round 7-5 to complete the victory.
Saeed scored two points through body punches and three from body kicks, while Mercer added a three-point head kick during the contest.
Neither athlete received a Gam-jeom penalty, and Mercer advanced to the quarter-finals.
Shahzaib Khan had also been eliminated from the taekwondo competition on Friday.
