Wrestling
Sujeet Kalkal wins 65KG Gold at Polyák Imre Memorial
Dudaev, a bronze medallist at the Paris 2024 Olympics, was completely outclassed in the pre-quarter finals.
Sujeet (65kg) made the Indian men's freestyle squad. (Photo credit: Special arrangement)
India’s Sujeet Kalkal continued his rapid ascent on the international wrestling circuit with a sensational gold-medal performance at the Polyák Imre & Varga János Memorial Ranking Series in Hungary.
Competing in the fmen’s 65kg freestyle category, Sujeet not only claimed top honours but also made headlines with a stunning upset over Olympic medallist Islam Dudaev, earlier today.
In the final, Sujeet defeated Azerbaijan’s Ali Rahimzade, a three-time European bronze medallist, with a 5-1 scoreline. But it was his dominant 11-0 technical superiority victory over Albania’s Islam Dudaev in the pre-quarterfinal that stood out today. Dudaev, a bronze medallist at the Paris 2024 Olympics, was completely outclassed.
This win in Budapest marks one of Sujeet's biggest achievements on the senior circuit, adding to a growing list of international successes. The 23-year-old recently clinched his second U23 Asian Championship title in June, winning the final with another technical superiority performance. In 2024, he had taken bronze at the U23 World Championships in Tirana, competing in the 70kg weight category. That same year, he also captured his second consecutive senior national title.
