U-23 World Wrestling Championships: Hansika enters 53kg semifinal, Neha in bronze medal match

Extending Indian women’s decent run at the Under-23 World Wrestling Championships, Hansika Lamba reached the 53kg semifinal while Neha Sharma used her repechage chance to enter the bronze medal race in the 57kg weight class, in Novi Sad, Serbia on Friday.

Priya Malik had won India’s second medal of the tournament on Thursday night by bagging a bronze with a commanding 8-1 win over Mexican wrestler Edna Jimenez Villalba.

Nishu (55kg), Pulkit (65kg) and Srishtai (68kg) will also fight for bronze medals later in the day.

Hansika lost only two points in her three bouts. She began with a 11-0 win over Victoryia Volk and followed that up with a 8-2 victory over Kazakhstan’s Zeinep Bayanova.

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In the quarterfinal she came up with a technical superiority (10-0) victory over Uzbekistan’s Dilshoda Matnazarova.

Savita lost her 1/8th round 3-4 to Ukraine’s Iryna Bondar who stunned the Indian with her counter attack and managed to defend her lead.

Hanny Kumari (50kg), Diksha Malik (72kg) were knocked out of the tournament earlier.

Men’s freestyle event also began on Friday in which Pravinder (74kg) lost his first round by technical superiority to American Mitchell Owen Mesenbrink and Sachin (92kg) lost at the quarterfinals stage.

Published on Oct 24, 2025