Aman Sehrawat Clinches Gold, Deepak Scripts Stunning Comeback as India Wins Three Medals at Budapest Ranking Series

India enjoyed a memorable opening day at the Budapest Ranking Series 2026, with Olympic bronze medallist Aman Sehrawat continuing his remarkable rise by winning the 57kg freestyle gold medal, while Deepak (61kg) and Vishal Kaliramana (65kg) added bronze medals to complete a successful day for the Indian contingent.

The Polyák Imre, Varga János & Kozma István Memorial is the fourth and final United World Wrestling (UWW) Ranking Series event of the season and serves as a crucial preparatory tournament ahead of the World Championships and the 2026 Asian Games.

While Aman once again underlined why he is among the world's elite wrestlers, Deepak's astonishing comeback from an 0-8 deficit stole the spotlight and quickly became one of the most talked-about moments of the tournament.

Aman Sehrawat looked untouchable throughout the competition. The Paris Olympic bronze medallist dominated his way to the title, winning three of his four bouts by technical superiority while barely allowing his opponents any opportunities to score. He began his campaign with a commanding 10-0 technical superiority victory over Georgia's Nikoloz Botchorishvili in the Round of 16.

The Indian then defeated Kazakhstan's Meirambek Kartbay 10-3 in the quarter-finals before producing perhaps his most impressive performance of the tournament. Facing reigning European champion Islam Bazarganov of Azerbaijan in the semi-finals, Aman completely outclassed his highly accomplished opponent, securing an emphatic 11-0 technical superiority victory.

His dominance continued in the gold-medal bout against Roberti Dingashvili of Georgia.

Displaying exceptional speed, relentless attacks and flawless execution, Aman raced to a 13-3 technical superiority victory, sealing the gold medal in convincing fashion. The title is another significant addition to the 22-year-old's rapidly growing list of achievements, which already includes an Olympic bronze medal and becoming India's first-ever U23 World Wrestling Champion.

More importantly, the manner of his victories sends a strong message ahead of the World Championships and the Asian Games, where Aman will once again be among India's biggest medal hopes.

Deepak Produces Incredible Comeback

If Aman delivered the day's most dominant performance, Deepak undoubtedly produced its most dramatic. Competing in the 61kg bronze medal bout, the Indian found himself trailing 8-0 against 2025 World Championships bronze medallist Nuraddin Novruzov of Azerbaijan. At that stage, defeat appeared almost inevitable.

However, what followed was one of the most remarkable comebacks seen on the international wrestling circuit this season. Refusing to surrender, Deepak launched an aggressive comeback, constantly attacking while maintaining relentless pressure on his opponent. Point by point, he reduced the deficit before eventually completing a stunning 9-8 victory, leaving the Azerbaijani wrestler stunned.

The remarkable turnaround showcased Deepak's exceptional fitness, determination and mental resilience.

Coming back from eight points down against a world medallist is an achievement rarely seen at this level and highlights the tremendous fighting spirit that has become synonymous with Indian wrestling.

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India's third medal came through Vishal Kaliramana in the 65kg category. Earlier in the day, Vishal had suffered a heartbreaking defeat in the semi-finals against Iran's Ebrahimzadeh.

The Indian had established a 5-2 lead and looked well placed to book his place in the final before his opponent launched a late counterattack. The bout finished 5-5, with the Iranian advancing on criteria after scoring the final point. Despite the disappointment, Vishal responded impressively in the bronze-medal match.

Facing Kazakhstan's Ossimzhan Dastanbek, the Indian wrestled with confidence from the outset and secured a convincing 8-2 victory to claim the bronze medal.

His recovery after the narrow semi-final defeat reflected excellent character and ensured India finished the opening day with three medals.

The Budapest Ranking Series is regarded as one of the most important competitions before the World Championships later this year. Many of the world's leading wrestlers have travelled to Hungary to fine-tune their preparations while earning valuable ranking points that determine seedings at major international events. India's opening-day performances therefore carry considerable significance.

Aman's dominant title run confirms that he remains one of the leading contenders in the 57kg category, while Deepak and Vishal demonstrated that India's freestyle depth continues to improve across multiple weight divisions.

The Wrestling Federation of India will be particularly encouraged by the performances of its Asian Games-bound wrestlers. Aman once again showed the composure and consistency expected from an Olympic medallist, while Deepak's resilience and Vishal's determination highlighted the competitive mentality within the Indian squad.

The victories also provide valuable confidence ahead of the World Championships, where India will hope to convert its growing consistency into podium finishes.

With the women's freestyle events and remaining men's freestyle categories still to come, India has additional opportunities to further improve its medal tally.

For now, however, the spotlight rightly belongs to Aman Sehrawat, whose dominant gold-medal performance once again established him among the world's very best, and to Deepak, whose extraordinary comeback from 0-8 down will be remembered as one of the defining moments of the Budapest Ranking Series. Together with Vishal Kaliramana's bronze, India's three-medal haul represents the perfect start to an important week of international wrestling.