Hansika Lamba Secures Silver at Budapest Ranking Series

In a remarkable display of talent, India's Hansika Lamba secured a silver medal in the women's 55kg event at the Budapest Ranking Series. Despite a tough final against Ukraine's Nataliia Klivchutska, Lamba's journey included impressive victories over strong opponents. Other Indian wrestlers also showcased their skills, contributing to a total of five medals for India at the event. This article delves into the highlights of the competition and the performances of various athletes.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jul 17, 2026, 13:46 IST

India's Performance at the Budapest Ranking Series

File image of Aman Sehrawat(Photo: @mykhelcom/X)

Budapest, July 17: Hansika Lamba from India clinched a silver medal in the women’s 55kg category at the Budapest Ranking Series, after being defeated by Ukraine’s Nataliia Klivchutska in the final match.

The 19-year-old athlete faced a tough challenge, losing 5-0 to Klivchutska, a former junior European champion.

Hansika's journey to the final began with a solid 8-4 victory over Tuba Demir from Turkey in the quarter-finals. She then staged a remarkable comeback in the semi-finals, overcoming Germany's Anastasia Blayvas with a score of 10-7, despite trailing 7-2 at one point.

This year has been impressive for Lamba, as she also secured bronze medals at both the Asian Championships and the Ulaanbaatar Open in her previous international competitions.

In the women’s 50kg category, Priyanshi Prajapat faced Jacqueline Mollocana from Ecuador in her bronze medal match but lost 4-2 after advancing through repechage.

Prajapat initially showcased her skills by defeating Pan-American champion Katie Gomez from the USA, but later suffered a loss to Feng Ziqi from China, the eventual gold medalist and Paris Olympic bronze medallist, in the quarter-finals.

With Ziqi reaching the final, Priyanshi had a chance to compete for a medal through repechage but ultimately fell short.

In the men’s 125kg category, Rajat Ruhal, who is preparing for the Asian Games, earned a bronze medal after his opponent, Mason Parris from the USA, withdrew due to injury.

Rajat had previously lost to Kamil Kosciołek from Poland in the quarter-finals but bounced back to defeat Gwanuk Kim from Korea 8-4 in the repechage round, securing his place in the medal match.

Another Indian wrestler, Dinesh Dhankhar, was eliminated in the quarter-finals of the same division.

Punit Kumar (92kg) and Olympian Deepak Punia (97kg) were also unable to progress, losing their opening matches.

Earlier in the competition, Aman Sehrawat, a Paris Olympic medallist, won gold in the men’s 57kg division, while Deepak and Vishal Kaliramana secured bronze medals in the men’s 61kg and 65kg categories, respectively.

With these performances, India’s medal tally at the Budapest Ranking Series has reached five.