Anshu Malik, an Indian woman wrestler, won a silver in the 57kg category of the Budapest Ranking Series after losing to her 21-year-old Chinese opponent Kexin Hong in the final. Anshu was defeated 1-12 on technical superiority by the top-ranked Chinese wrestler, who is a bronze medalist in the 53kg category at the Hangzhou Asian Games.
Antim Panghal, representing India, also secured a silver in the 53kg category, while Vinesh Phogat lost to China’s Jiang Zhu 0-5 in the quarterfinals of the 50kg category.
Anshu’s journey to the final included a hard-fought victory against Anastasia Nichita of Moldova, where she clinched a 6-5 win with a takedown in the closing seconds. She also overcame the challenge of world champion Zhang Qi with a 2-1 victory.
However, in the final bout, Kexin Hong took an early lead and dominated the match, leaving Anshu with a silver medal.
Aman Sehrawat, India’s only male wrestler to qualify for the Paris Olympics, also secured a silver on the opening day, losing 1-11 on technical superiority to Japan’s Rei Higuchi.
