Olympic medallist Aman Sehrawat storms to gold at Budapest Ranking Series 2026
Budapest, July 15
India's Olympic bronze medallist and U23 Asian Champion Aman Sehrawat delivered a commanding performance to clinch the gold medal in the men's 57kg freestyle category at the Polyák Imre, Varga János & Kozma István Memorial Senior Ranking Tournament 2026 in Budapest, Hungary, on Wednesday.
Continuing his impressive form on the global circuit, Aman Sehrawat outclassed Georgia's Roberti Dingashvili with a decisive 13-3 victory by technical superiority in the championship bout.
The 22-year-old freestyle wrestler, who made history as India's youngest-ever individual Olympic medallist at the Paris Games, added another prestigious title to his growing international resume, which also includes being India's first-ever U23 World Wrestling Champion.
The Indian national contingent's medal tally expanded in the 61kg freestyle category as Deepak secured a hard-fought bronze medal. In a high-scoring tactical encounter, Deepak showed immense grit to edge out Azerbaijan's Nuraddin Novruzov 9-8 in the third-place play-off.
Meanwhile, the Indian squad remains in the hunt for two more podium finishes in the 65kg freestyle division. Kumar Mohit is set to clash with Kazakhstan's Nachyn Kuular in his bronze medal match, while compatriot Vishal Kaliraman will square off against another Kazakh wrestler, Ossumzhan Dastanbek, in his respective third-place play-off.
The contingent will look to build on this momentum on Thursday as action resumes in the remaining men's freestyle weight categories, 79kg, 92kg, 97kg, and 125kg. Additionally, India's women's wrestling campaign will kick off tomorrow, featuring opening-round competition in the 50kg and 55kg weight divisions.
Meanwhile, in the semifinals of the 86kg, Rakhim Magamadov (FRA) moved into the 86kg final after a 10-0 win over Nan Cao (CHN) using leg lace to score his points. He seemed injured at the end and needed medical assistance. He will, if healthy, wrestle Vladimeri Gamkrelidze (GEO) for the gold medal after the Georgian defeated compatriot Tornike Samkharadze (GEO), 12-4.
In the 74kg semifinals, Feng Lu (CHN) had a stepout in the final seconds of the bout against Murad Kuramagomedov (HUN) to complete a stunning 2-2 criteria win and advance to the final. He will now face former 70kg world champion Nurkozha Kaipanov (KAZ), who got the better of Muhammed Besir (TUR). Besir led 2-2 on criteria, but Kaipanov got on the legs and scored exposure for two points, a counter from Besir made it 4-4 criteria lead for Besir. However, Kaipanov did not let go of his hold and exposed Besir again to win 6-4. Besir challenged the scoring but lost it to add one more point to Kaipanov's score.
Indian medallists & results summary:
57kg Freestyle (Gold): Aman Sehrawat (Defeated Roberti Dingashvili of Georgia, 13-3)
61kg Freestyle (Bronze): Deepak (Defeated Nuraddin Novruzov of Azerbaijan, 9-8)
— IANS
Reader Comments
Deepak fighting through that 9-8 thriller shows the never-say-die attitude of Indian wrestlers. The entire contingent is making us proud. Hope the women's team also shines starting tomorrow! 💪
Good to see sustained success from Aman. But we need to look at the bigger picture - wrestling infrastructure in India still needs massive improvement. One or two stars won't sustain the sport forever. Hope the federation takes note.
Absolutely thrilled to see our young wrestlers shine on the international stage! Aman's technique is so crisp - that 13-3 victory by technical superiority is no joke. And Deepak's bronze adds to the joy. More medals expected from Kumar Mohit and Vishal tomorrow. Go India! 🥇🥉
Remember when people doubted Aman after his Olympic bronze? Guy has proved them all wrong. 2026 and he's still improving. Can't wait to see him at the Asian Games next year. Pride of Haryana! 🏆
Wonderful performance by the entire contingent. But I hope the wrestling federation is also focusing on grassroot development in states like Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu - not just the traditional strongholds.
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