Budapest (Hungary): Emerging talent grappler Sumit won the silver as India’s Greco-Roman wrestling contingent marked a strong comeback on the final day of ‘Polyak Imre & Varga Janos Memorial’ – the 4th Ranking Series – being held here, by securing one silver and one bronze medal.
After a disappointing start, where none of the Greco-Roman wrestlers could advance to the medal rounds, the final day proved encouraging, showcasing the potential and growing strength of India’s Greco-Roman squad.
Sumit bags silver medal
Young grappler Sumit, the current Under-23 Asian Champion, delivered an impressive performance in the 60 kg weight category to clinch a silver medal.
He began with a bye in the qualification round. In his first bout, he defeated Sadyk Lalaev (UWW) with a dominant 9-3 score. In the quarterfinal, Sumit overpowered Korean wrestler Dahyun Kim by fall (7-4). Continuing his winning form, Sumit defeated Kazakh wrestler Galym Kabdunassarov by technical superiority (10-1) in the semifinals.
In the gold medal bout, Sumit faced Nihat Zahid Mammadli of Azerbaijan, the reigning European and World Champion.
Mammadli faced some tense moments in the first period, but as casual as he is, Mammadli defended every turn. He blocked Sumit’s attempt to get a gut-wrench mid-turn and got two points. He got a bodylock to kick off the second period and scored a takedown to make it 4-1.
As Sumit was put in par terre, Mammadli further led 5-1. However, he was happy not to put any effort into attempting any turns. Sumit tried to get a hold of Mammadli in the final two minutes, but it was to no avail, and Mammadli won the final 5-1.
Bronze medal for Anil Mor
Fellow Greco-Roman wrestler Anil Mor, who had earlier won a silver medal in the Yasar Dogu International Tournament (June 2025), added another accolade to his name by securing a bronze medal in the 55 kg category. After a bye in the qualification round, he lost to Emin Sefershaev (UWW) in his first bout 6-1.
As Emin advanced to the final, Anil got another opportunity through the repechage rounds. He defeated Moldova’s Atrium Deleanu with a clean 7-0 win, not conceding a single point. In the bronze medal bout, he outclassed Ikhtiyor Botirov of Uzbekistan with a strong 7-4 win, clinching India’s second medal of the day.
Women wrestlers continue to dominate
Just a day earlier, the Indian women’s wrestling team topped the overall medal tally, ahead of strong contenders USA and Hungary, who stood second and third, respectively.
Given the recent consistent performances on the international circuit, experts have predicted that Indian women wrestlers are on course to win 3–4 medals at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
(IANS)
