Big Day for India in Budapest: Antim and Neha Storm into Finals, Wrestlers Shine at Ranking Series
The ongoing Ranking Series wrestling event in Budapest turned into a memorable day for Indian wrestling fans, as two of the nation’s most promising young women wrestlers Antim Panghal and Neha powered their way into the finals of their respective weight categories with commanding performances.
The spotlight of the day shone brightest on Antim, competing in the 53kg category. After a strong start in the opening round, where she completely outclassed Turkey’s Zeynep Yetgil with a 10-0 technical superiority win, Antim advanced to the semifinals brimming with confidence. This victory was particularly satisfying, as Yetgil had previously beaten Antim by the same margin during the Paris Olympics making the turnaround even more impressive.
In the semifinal, Antim produced another display of aggressive, technically sharp wrestling, defeating American wrestler Felicity Taylor by an identical 10-0 scoreline. Using a series of well-timed takedowns, Antim never allowed her opponent to settle, closing out the bout early with technical superiority.
With this, she secured her place in the gold medal bout, where she will face Natalia Malysheva, competing under a neutral flag. The two have met before: Antim had beaten Malysheva convincingly (10-0) at the Mongolian Open earlier this year a result that makes her entry into the final highly anticipated.
Not far behind in the day’s heroics was Neha, wrestling in the 57kg category. Neha too looked composed and relentless on the mat. In the semifinal, she faced Hungary’s Roza Szenttamasi, who had the crowd behind her.
Neha, however, stayed focused and executed a clean win, defeating Szenttamasi 8-4 to advance to the gold medal match. Awaiting Neha in the final will be none other than American legend Helen Maroulis, who returned to international competition for the first time since the Paris Olympics and pinned Tamara Dollak (Hungary) in her semifinal bout.
For Neha, this presents both a formidable challenge and a priceless opportunity to test herself against one of the sport’s greats.
While Antim and Neha were the clear highlights, India’s campaign in other women’s categories saw mixed fortunes. In the 50kg category, India fielded two young wrestlers: Neelam and Priyanshi Prajapat.
Neelam had a tight, high-scoring opening match against Canada’s Madison Parks, eventually prevailing 10-8 in a bout where her ability to attack early proved decisive. Priyanshi, meanwhile, produced a disciplined performance to defeat Audrey Jimenez (USA) 3-0, relying more on her defensive skills and positional control to secure the win.
However, neither was able to progress to the medal rounds later in the day, ending their campaigns in the repechage.
Indian men were absent from the top podium races today, with the day mostly dominated by star names from other countries. Notable moments elsewhere included Helen Maroulis’s dominant return, Kota Takahashi of Japan narrowly beating American David Carr 8-7 in the 74kg semifinals after a back-and-forth contest, and Mahamedkhabib Kadzimahamedau of Bahrain pinning Iran’s Ali Savadkouhi in the 86kg semifinals to set up a final against Azerbaijan’s Arsenii Dzhioev.
The performance of Antim and Neha underlines the growing depth in Indian women’s wrestling. Antim, in particular, has steadily built a reputation as one of India’s best in recent years, combining speed, attacking flair and tactical awareness.
Her consistent showings at the Mongolian Open and now in Budapest highlight her evolution into a serious medal contender at the senior level.
For Neha, the chance to face Helen Maroulis in a final could mark a career-defining moment. At just 20, she has shown impressive maturity and skill to navigate past experienced international opponents. Regardless of the final outcome, standing across the mat from a two-time Olympic medallist and multiple world champion will provide invaluable experience and a benchmark for where she stands on the global stage.
Looking ahead, all eyes will be on these two finals: Antim vs Malysheva and Neha vs Maroulis. Should Antim repeat her Mongolian Open performance, she could bag another Ranking Series gold.
For Neha, even putting up a competitive fight against Maroulis would add significantly to her confidence ahead of upcoming world events and the build-up to Los Angeles 2028.
Elsewhere in the event, the Indian contingent’s relatively subdued results, especially in men’s freestyle, serve as a reminder of the gaps still to be bridged at the very highest level. But on the women’s side, performances like today’s prove once again why Indian women’s wrestling continues to be one of the country’s brightest hopes in international sport.
As the mats roll out again for the final session, Indian wrestling fans will wait with anticipation and no small amount of pride to see if Antim and Neha can finish this remarkable day by stepping onto the top of the podium.
