Former Under-23 World Championship silver medalist Hansika Lamba delivered an impressive performance to clinch the silver medal in the women's 55kg category at the prestigious Polyák Imre, Varga János & Kozma István Memorial Senior Ranking Tournament.
The Indian wrestler displayed remarkable determination and resilience throughout the competition, overcoming challenging situations to secure a place in the final. Her silver medal further underlines her emergence as one of India's promising wrestlers on the international circuit and builds on her recent success at the continental level.
Hansika's most memorable performance came in the semifinal, where she produced a stunning comeback against Germany's Anastasia Blayvas. Trailing 2-7 at one stage, the Indian grappler refused to concede defeat and mounted a remarkable fightback by executing a series of powerful takedowns and attacking moves. Her aggressive approach and technical precision completely shifted the momentum of the contest as she outscored her opponent in the closing stages to register a thrilling 10-7 victory and book her place in the gold medal bout.
The comeback victory highlighted Hansika's composure under pressure and her ability to capitalize on scoring opportunities even when facing a significant deficit. Her spirited display earned praise as one of the standout performances of the day.
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In the final, Hansika faced a stern challenge from Ukraine's Nataliia Klivchutska, an experienced and technically accomplished wrestler. Despite putting up a determined fight and attempting to counter her opponent's attacks, the Indian wrestler was unable to break through Klivchutska's strong defence. The Ukrainian maintained control throughout the contest and secured a 5-0 victory on points (VPO), leaving Hansika with the silver medal.
Although she narrowly missed out on the top podium finish, the silver medal represents another major milestone in Hansika's career. Earlier this year, she won a bronze medal at the 2026 Senior Asian Wrestling Championships, and her latest podium finish further strengthens her credentials ahead of future international competitions.
India's freestyle wrestlers also enjoyed a productive second day at the ranking tournament, adding two bronze medals to the country's tally and ensuring a strong overall performance.
In the men's 65kg category, Vishal Kaliraman claimed the bronze medal after producing a disciplined and tactically astute display against Kazakhstan's Ossumzhan Dastanbek in the third-place playoff. Vishal controlled the bout with effective defence and timely attacks, eventually registering a convincing 8-2 victory to secure his place on the podium.
The second bronze medal came in the men's 125kg heavyweight division, where Rajat Ruhal was declared the winner against the United States' Mason Mark Parris. The bronze medal bout ended prematurely after the American wrestler was forced to withdraw because of an injury, resulting in Ruhal being awarded the victory by injury forfeit (VIN).
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