Nitesh Siwach won silver in the men’s 97kg Greco-Roman event at the Asian Games 2026. It was a historic result for Indian wrestling. But what exactly is Greco-Roman wrestling?

Greco-Roman is one of the two Olympic wrestling styles, along with freestyle. Wrestlers can only use their arms and upper bodies. Holds below the waist are banned. Tripping an opponent with the legs is not allowed.

The style rewards throws and upper-body technique. Wrestlers score points for takedowns, reversals and exposing an opponent’s back to the mat. A pin, holding both shoulder blades down, ends the bout instantly.

India has rarely medalled in this style at the Asian Games. Siwach’s final appearance ended a 64-year wait for an Indian in the event’s title bout. His silver shows India’s growing depth beyond freestyle wrestling. It could inspire more young wrestlers to take up the classical style. President Droupadi Murmu congratulated Siwach, calling it a historic performance for Indian wrestling.