Wrestling: Antim Panghal, Harshita clinch ranking series gold

India’s wrestling star Antim Panghal continued her golden run on the international circuit, clinching the 53kg title at the Polyák Imre & Varga János Memorial Ranking Series in Hungary on Friday.

India’s strong form continued as Harshita won the gold medal in the women’s 72kg category, stunning four-time Asian champion Zhamila Bakbergenova of Kazakhstan with a dominant 10-0 win in the final.

The 20-year-old Antim defeated Russia’s Natalia Malysheva 7-4 in a tight final to win her second consecutive Ranking Series gold medal, following her triumph in Mongolia last month.

Panghal, the first Indian woman to win a U20 World Championship title, has firmly established herself as one of the brightest prospects in Indian wrestling. Her win in Budapest comes just weeks after a dominant campaign at the Mongolia Ranking Series in June, where she stormed to gold with a series of convincing wins.

Hailing from Bhagana village in Hisar, Haryana, Antim has been a standout performer since her youth. Panghal’s decorated career already features a string of international medals across age-group and senior-level competitions.

She won bronze at the 2023 World Championships in Belgrade and at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou. Her performances at the Asian Championships have earned her a silver in 2023 (Astana) and bronze in 2025 (Amman).

On the Grand Prix circuit, she secured gold in 2022 (Tunisia) and silver in 2024 (Budapest). Among age-group events, she boasts two World Junior titles (2022 Sofia, 2023 Amman), a U23 Asian silver (2022 Bishkek), a U20 Asian gold (2022 Manama), and a bronze at the 2021 U17 World Championships in Budapest.