'The fire still burns in me' - Pincky Balhara vows to keep going after second Asian Games medal
(Courtesy : SAI Media)
It was her second Asian Games medal, the first coming in 2018
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Pincky Balhara braved an injured right knee to win India a bronze medal in the kurash competition at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya.
In her third Asian Games, Pincky lost to Sumin Mo of South Korea in a semi-final bout in the 78kg category to settle for a bronze.
The 28-year-old Delhi girl Pincky is quite a star in Indian kurash, a form of combative martial art that originated in Central Asia, particularly Uzbekistan. Athletes wear jackets and attempt to either throw an opponent flat or onto their side to win points.
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In the semi-final match at the Aichi Prefectural Martial Arts Hall, Sumin attacked Pincky’s heavily strapped right knee and killed the Indian’s attacking tactics to win on points (5-0).
Pincky’s second Asian Games medal—she had won bronze at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta—was a reflection of the Delhi girl’s grit and determination. “I was determined not to give away points. Sumin knew my weakness, and she made good use of that,” Pincky said in an interview to SAI media.
Pincky, a former junior Asian champion in 2015, a gold medallist in the World Nomad Games in 2024, and several other accolades, including being the national champion, has become the flagbearer for Indian kurash. Pincky has braved insult to her family when she lost her father. That made her more combative.
“A section of the media said I was taking sympathy for my father’s death before the 2018 Asian Games. I proved them wrong with my medal (silver). That fire still burns in me. The blood of a Jat girl is very hot, and that is what keeps me going against adversity,” Pincky said.
“A lot of people are saying my career is over after my third Asian Games. While I agree that the colour of the medal is not what I had aspired for, I am not stopping yet. I have worked very hard in the last eight years for this medal,” said Pincky.
The six-member Indian squad at Aichi-Nagoya had a brief camp in Saharanpur before coming to the Asian Games.
“We could have done better had our team got some international exposure and training before coming to the Games. We need a lot of support from the government. PM Narendra Modi’s vision to make sports a career option must impact our players too,” said Ravi Kapoor, the president of the Indian Kurash Association.
Before the 2018 Asian Games, the Indian players had a 19-day camp in Uzbekistan, a kurash powerhouse. “The tough training there helped. We learnt to be competitive and did that the hard way. We need more such camps before big events,” said Pincky. India won a pair of medals at the Jakarta Games.
Kapoor said that kurash started in an organized way in 2000, and in 26 years, athletes, many of them like Pincky, who switched from judo, have delivered medals for India.
“We have virtually run the association from our own pocket. We just need government support to turn the corner and do much better in the next Games.”
How did Pincky Balhara win bronze in kurash at the Asian Games 2026?
She lost her 78kg semi-final 5-0 to South Korea’s Sumin Mo, who targeted her heavily strapped right knee and blunted her attacking game, leaving her with bronze.
Is this Pincky Balhara’s first Asian Games medal?
No, it’s her second. She won bronze at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games and has now added a second bronze in Aichi-Nagoya.
Does Pincky Balhara plan to retire after the 2026 Asian Games?
No. She said that while the medal colour wasn’t what she wanted, she is “not stopping yet” after eight years of work, despite suggestions that her career is over after a third Games.
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