Sujeet Kalkal Strikes Gold in 65kg Freestyle at Budapest Ranking Series

Add as a preferred source on Google

Indian wrestler Sujeet Kalkal made headlines on Thursday by capturing the gold medal in the men's 65kg freestyle division at the 2025 Polyak Imre & Varga Janos Memorial, held in Budapest, Hungary. His emphatic win marks India's first gold at any Wrestling Ranking Series event this year.

Sujeet outclassed Azerbaijan's seasoned grappler and four-time European medallist Ali Rahimzade in the final, winning by a convincing 5-1 margin. Though he conceded an activity point early in the bout, the Indian wrestler took control in the second period with two solid takedowns and an additional activity point, sealing a dominant performance.

The journey to the final was nothing short of remarkable for the young Indian. He started with a resounding 11-0 technical superiority victory over Paris 2024 Olympic bronze medallist Islam Dudaev of Albania. In the quarterfinal, Sujeet faced European silver medallist Khamzat Arsamerzouev of France and eased through with a clinical display. His semi-final match saw him defeat Armenia's Vazgen Tevanyan 6-1, confirming his spot in the gold medal bout.

India also found success in the 57kg men's freestyle category, where Rahul secured a bronze medal. He blanked Germany's Niklas Stechele 4-0 in the medal match after defeating South Korea's Kim Sung-gwon 5-3 in the quarters. Rahul narrowly missed the final, falling 7-6 to USA's Luke Joseph Lilledahl in a hard-fought semi-final.

However, not all Indian wrestlers had a fruitful outing. Udit (61kg) and Vicky (97kg) were knocked out in the repechage rounds.

The Budapest event is the final stop in this year's Wrestling Ranking Series. Performances here play a crucial role in determining seedings for the upcoming World Wrestling Championships, scheduled to be held in Zagreb, Croatia, this September.

India's contingent in Budapest included wrestlers competing across men's and women's freestyle, as well as Greco-Roman disciplines. The tournament will conclude on Sunday, wrapping up a key phase of preparations ahead of the World Championships.