Bhubaneswar : India’s women wrestlers delivered a stellar performance at the Polyák Imre & Varga János Memorial 2025 in Budapest, seizing the overall team title with a haul of six medals—including two golds, two silvers, and two bronzes—and topping the standings with 130 points.
Antim Panghal continued her remarkable run in the 53kg category, capturing her second consecutive international gold medal for 2025 with a gritty 7-4 victory in the final against Russia’s Natalia Malysheva. Her campaign began with emphatic 10-0 wins, including a dominant revenge victory over Turkey’s Zeynep Yetgil—the very opponent who had beaten her by the same scoreline at the Paris Olympics. Antim dispatched the USA’s Felicity Kay Taylor with another 10-0 score in the semifinals to seal her place in the final. This victory follows her gold-winning effort at the Ulaanbaatar Open in May, further solidifying her reputation as one of India’s most promising wrestling stars.
In the 72kg category, Harshita claimed gold with a commanding 10-0 win over Kazakhstan’s four-time Asian champion Zhamila Bakbergenova. Harshita’s journey included victories over France’s Pauline Lecarpentier (via disqualification) and Kseniia Burakova (via fall), highlighting India’s depth of talent.
Other Indian highlights included:
Neha Sangwan winning silver in the 57kg category, falling to Olympic champion Helen Maroulis (USA) by pinfall.
Priya Malik securing silver (76kg) after a narrow loss to Brazil’s Thamires Martins.
Manisha Bhanwala earning bronze (62kg) by pinning Belarus’ Krystsina Sazykina.
Neelam clinching bronze in the 50kg category by defeating Kseniya Stankevich (Belarus).
This tournament concluded the 2025 Ranking Series calendar, with results impacting seedings for the upcoming World Wrestling Championships in Zagreb, Croatia. India fielded a full-strength team across all disciplines, signaling strong preparation for future international events.
Fact-checked highlights:
Antim Panghal’s win at 53kg against Russia’s Natalia Malysheva (7-4), her second Ranking Series gold in a row.
Harshita’s gold in 72kg, dominating four-time Asian champion Zhamila Bakbergenova 10-0 in the final.
Six total medals and the team trophy for India’s women’s squad, with decisive wins over top global competition in multiple bouts.
These results are consistent across multiple credible reports from independent and official sources.
Antim and Harshita’s triumphs, along with the team’s collective strength, underscore India’s growing dominance on the global wrestling stage.
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