Budapest Ranking Series 2026: Hansika Lamba Wins Silver as India’s Medal Tally Rises to Five

Indian wrestler Hansika Lamba produced an impressive campaign to clinch the silver medal in the women’s 55kg category at the Polyák Imre, Varga János & Kozma István Memorial Senior Ranking Tournament 2026 in Budapest, Hungary, as India continued to collect medals at the final UWW Ranking Series event of the year.

The former U23 World Championships silver medallist displayed considerable resilience during her run to the final, highlighted by a dramatic comeback victory over Germany’s Anastasia Blayvas in the semifinals. Hansika’s silver, combined with bronze medals for Vishal Kaliraman and Rajat Ruhal in men’s freestyle, took India’s overall tally at the tournament to five medals: one gold, one silver and three bronze.

The latest successes built on India’s strong opening-day performance, when Paris Olympic bronze medallist Aman Sehrawat captured gold in the men’s freestyle 57kg category and Deepak secured bronze at 61kg.

Hansika’s standout performance in Budapest came in her semifinal against Blayvas, where the Indian found herself in serious trouble after falling 2-7 behind. With a place in the gold medal bout slipping away, Hansika responded with an aggressive display in the closing stages.

She executed a series of crucial takedowns to completely change the momentum of the contest, scoring eight points during her comeback to eventually secure a thrilling 10-7 victory. The result demonstrated Hansika’s ability to remain composed under pressure and ensured her progression to the final of a high-quality senior international competition.

In the gold medal bout, Hansika faced Ukraine’s Nataliia Klivchutska. The Indian attempted to find openings against a disciplined Ukrainian opponent but was unable to register on the scoreboard. Klivchutska controlled the contest effectively and eventually secured a 5-0 victory on points, leaving Hansika with the silver medal.

Despite missing out on gold, the result represents another significant achievement for the Indian wrestler, who has been steadily establishing herself at the senior international level. Hansika had previously won a bronze medal at the 2026 Senior Asian Wrestling Championships, and her latest podium finish further strengthens her growing international credentials.

https://www.indiasportshub.com/articles/aman-sehrawat-wins-gold-at-budapest-ranking-series-2026

India also celebrated success in the men’s freestyle 65kg category, where Vishal Kaliraman secured a bronze medal after defeating Kazakhstan’s Ossumzhan Dastanbek 8-2 in the third-place playoff. Vishal had narrowly missed out on reaching the final after suffering a heartbreaking semifinal defeat.

The Indian had built a 5-2 advantage in his semifinal but eventually lost the contest 5-5 on criteria after conceding points late in the bout. Rather than allowing that disappointment to affect his bronze-medal contest, Vishal returned to the mat with renewed focus.

Against Dastanbek, he produced a tactically assured performance, controlling the bout and maintaining his advantage to complete an 8-2 victory and secure India's third medal in men's freestyle competition.

The result was an important one for Vishal in a highly competitive 65kg division and provided further evidence of India's depth in the lighter freestyle categories.

India's medal tally was further boosted by Rajat Ruhal in the men's freestyle 125kg category. Ruhal was scheduled to face USA's Mason Mark Parris in the bronze-medal contest. However, the American wrestler was unable to compete due to injury, handing the Indian victory by injury forfeit.

The result secured Ruhal a place on the podium and gave India its third men's freestyle bronze medal of the tournament. While Ruhal did not have to wrestle the medal bout, the podium finish represents an encouraging result for India in the heavyweight category, where the country continues to look for wrestlers capable of making an impact at major international competitions.

The three latest medals follow a productive opening day for India, led by Aman Sehrawat. The Paris Olympic bronze medallist was in dominant form throughout the men's 57kg competition, winning three of his four bouts by technical superiority. Aman defeated Georgia's Roberti Dingashvili 13-3 in the final to claim gold, having earlier registered victories over Nikoloz Botchorishvili, Meirambek Kartbay and European champion Islam Bazarganov.

Deepak produced arguably one of India's most dramatic victories of the tournament to win bronze in the 61kg category. Trailing Azerbaijan's Nuraddin Novruzov 0-8 in the bronze-medal contest, Deepak staged an extraordinary comeback to score nine unanswered points and clinch a remarkable 9-8 victory.

Those performances established early momentum for the Indian contingent, which Hansika, Vishal and Ruhal have now carried forward.

India will have further opportunities to increase its medal tally as competition continues in the remaining women's wrestling categories. The focus will shift to the 59kg, 62kg, 65kg and 68kg divisions, with several Indian wrestlers looking to make an impact. Neha will spearhead India's challenge in the 59kg category, while Mansi is set to compete at 62kg. Nisha, one of India's established international wrestlers, will be a key medal contender in the competitive 68kg division.

With the tournament serving as an important international test ahead of major championships, India's performances in Budapest have offered several encouraging signs. Aman's dominant gold-medal run has been complemented by Deepak's extraordinary comeback, Vishal's consistency, Ruhal's heavyweight podium finish and Hansika's impressive transition into senior competition.

With five medals already secured and several Indian wrestlers still to compete, the contingent will now look to build further on a promising campaign in Budapest.

India’s Medal Tally at Budapest Ranking Series 2026

Gold: Aman Sehrawat – Men’s Freestyle 57kg

Silver: Hansika Lamba – Women’s Wrestling 55kg

Bronze: Deepak – Men’s Freestyle 61kg; Vishal Kaliraman – Men’s Freestyle 65kg; Rajat Ruhal – Men’s Freestyle 125kg

Total: 5 medals – 1 Gold, 1 Silver, 3 Bronze