
Antim Panghal, Harshita win golds in Budapest Ranking Series
World championships bronze medallist Antim Panghal defeated Natalia Malysheva 7-4 in the final.
Earlier, Antim got past Turkey's Zeynep Yetgil 10-0 to avenge her Paris Olympics loss before seeing off USA's Felicity Taylor 10-0 in the semifinals.
Harshita overcame reigning Asian champion and Worlds silver medallist Zhamila Bakbergenova of Kazakhstan 10-0 on the way to winning all four of her round-robin matches and emerge as the champion.
The 19-year-old, who secured gold in the Ulaanbaatar Ranking Series and Asian under-20 championships recently, also beat France's Pauline Lecarpentier (who was disqualified for pushing the Indian after being pinned) and Ksenila Burakova 'by fall' and got a walkover against Kristina Bratchikova.
Promising teenager Neha Sangwan had to settle for silver after she was pinned by former Worlds and Olympic champion Helen Maroulis of the USA in the 57kg summit clash. Neelam bagged a bronze in the 50kg category.
On Friday, Asian under-23 champion Sujeet Kalkal toppled some established names on his way to secure the 65kg freestyle gold medal.
Related Topics
Antim Panghal
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


India Today
4 hours ago
- India Today
Swimmer Srihari Nataraj breaks national record in World University Games
Swimmer Srihari Nataraj continued his record-breaking spree on Sunday as he bettered the 'Best Indian Time' in men's 100m freestyle, clocking 49.46 seconds to qualify for the semifinals at the World University Games erased Guangzhou Asian Games bronze medallist Virdhawal Khade's long-standing mark of 49.47 seconds set way back in 2008 from record won heat number 6 race and made it to the semifinals at 12th position On Friday, Nataraj had twice bettered his own 'Best Indian Time' in the 200m freestyle swimming, national record timings are those achieved only at the National Aquatics Championships. Timings clocked in other meets are considered "Best Indian Time" or "Best Indian Performance".World University GamesThe World University Games, also known as the Universiade, is one of the largest international multi-sport events, second only to the Olympics in terms of athlete participation. Organized by the International University Sports Federation (FISU), the Games bring together university athletes from around the world, promoting not just athletic excellence but also education, culture, and global every two years, the Universiade features two editions: the Summer Universiade and the Winter Universiade. The Summer edition includes sports such as athletics, swimming, basketball, and gymnastics, while the Winter edition hosts sports like skiing, figure skating, and ice hockey. These events provide a platform for student-athletes to compete at a high level while balancing academic Games have a rich history dating back to 1959, when the first official Universiade was held in Turin, Italy. Since then, the competition has grown significantly, attracting thousands of participants from over 150 countries. It serves as a stepping stone for many young athletes who later go on to represent their nations at the Olympics or in professional from competition, the World University Games emphasize cultural exchange and educational development. Athletes stay in a village-style setup, fostering friendships across borders and promoting the values of sportsmanship and mutual respect. Each host city also incorporates cultural showcases and academic forums, reflecting the core mission of uniting sport and has been an active participant in the Universiade, with recent years witnessing an increase in medal wins and representation across various disciplines. The Games have also pushed Indian universities to improve their sports infrastructure and support systems for essence, the World University Games celebrate the synergy of youth, education, and sport on a global stage, shaping future champions and global citizens.- Ends


News18
5 hours ago
- News18
PAK Coach Mike Hesson Fumes Over Mirpur Pitch: 'Not Of International Standard'
Pakistan's new coach Mike Hesson criticized the Mirpur pitch after a seven-wicket loss to Bangladesh, calling it below international standards. The slow and low track of Mirpur felt Pakistan's new white-ball coach Mike Hesson's fury on Sunday. The New Zealander said after his side's huge, seven-wicket defeat that the pitch wasn't of 'international standard' and that though it might help 'Bangladesh find success', it wasn't 'right' to present such wickets to visiting teams. Pakistan were bowled out for just 110, their lowest ever total in T20Is. Fakhar Zaman top-scored with 44, but no other visiting batter could even cross half of that as pacers Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman ran riot with five wickets. In reply, Parvez Hossain Emo's half-century and Towhid Hridoy's patient 36 saw Bangladesh chase it in just 15.3 overs, one of their best wins statistically over the Asian rivals. 'This type of wicket is not of international standard," an angry Hesson said in the post-match press conference. Playing on such pitches won't help you improve. You have the Asia Cup ahead, and playing on surfaces like this won't help you succeed on the big stage. Bangladesh may find success on these kinds of pitches, but this is by no means an ideal wicket," he remarked. Hesson almost veered into explaining how 'such wickets' were not helpful for Bangladesh cricket's development either, before reeling himself back. 'In the BPL, good wickets are usually prepared here. But in international matches, Bangladesh keeps producing these slow and low surfaces to gain a home advantage. That's not right," he stated, before adding, 'I haven't come here to fix Bangladesh cricket—that's not my job. But when we talk about the global standard of the game, such wickets are not the way forward." It's not just the visiting teams, though. In 2021, after Bangladesh hosted New Zealand and Australia on such tracks and found success, some batters had complained about the pitch. Home skipper Litton Das had also brought up the subject on the eve of this T20I, saying: 'I also agree. (After playing the 2021 New Zealand-Australia series) the careers of many cricketers have gone down as batters. If I were a bowler, maybe my career would have been rich." Bangladesh now lead the series 1-0, with the second match on Tuesday, July 22, at the same venue. view comments First Published: July 20, 2025, 23:05 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.


Indian Express
6 hours ago
- Indian Express
Budapest Wrestling Ranking Series: Antim, Sujeet turn up with gold; Women wrestlers win team title
Indian wrestlers ended the Polyák Imre & Varga János Memorial 2025 Ranking Series in Budapest with a total of nine medals across men's freestyle, men's greco-roman and women's wrestling. The Indian women's team won the team title with 130 points defeating USA with two gold, two silver, and two bronze medals while the male freestyle wrestlers ended up with one gold and one bronze medal and India won a solitary silver medal in the men's greco-roman. In the women's wrestling, Olympian Antim Panghal in 53kg and youngster Harshita in 72 kg won the two gold medals for India while Priya Malik in 76 kg category and Neha Sangwan in the 57 kg category won the silver medal. In the 50kg category, Neelam secured bronze with a win over Kseniya Stankevich of Belarus and in the 62 kg, Asian champion Manisha Bhanwala earned a bronze. Antim claimed gold in the 53kg category with a 7-4 win over Russia's Natalia Malysheva. This marked Antim's second Ranking Series gold in a row, following her title-winning run at the Ulaanbaatar Open in Mongolia last month. Harshita added the second gold medal for India in the 72kg category with a dominant 10-0 victory over four-time Asian champion Zhamila Bakbergenova of Kazakhstan. In the 57kg category, Neha Sangwan had to settle for silver after a defeat via pinfall to Olympic champion Helen Maroulis of the USA. In the men's freestyle, Sujeet Kalkal had a stunning start to the campaign defeating 2024 Paris Olympics bronze medallist Islam Dudaev of Albania 11-0. Then, he defeated European silver medallist Khazmat Arsamerzouev of France 11-0 in the next round. In the semi-final, he won 6-1 against European bronze medallist Vazgen Tevanyan of Armenia. Sujeet won the title after defeating another European bronze medallist Ali Rahimzade of Azerbaijan 5-1 in the final making it is his first senior medal of 2025. In the 57kg category, Rahul won the bronze medal defeating Niklas Stechele of Germany 4-0. Earlier, he lost to U20 World Champion Luke Lilledahl of USA in a tight match in the semi-final with a scoreline of 6-7. Sumit was the lone medallist in the men's greco-roman category with a silver medal after he lost to European champion Nihat Mammadli of Azerbaijan 1-5 in the 60 kg final. The Budapest Ranking Series is the final stop on the 2025 calendar, with ranking points from the event impacting seedings for the World Wrestling Championships to be held in Zagreb, Croatia in September.