In Women’s wrestling, the competition is mostly between all countries to lose to Japan in the finals particularly in the lighter weight categories. Whenever we face a Japanese wrestler, we pray for a miracle. So, when I saw an Indian girl pin Ayaka Kimura from Japan, I realized, it’s no mean feat. That’s when I first caught a glimpse of Antim Panghal.
This was during the quarterfinals of the 2022 U20 world championships. Antim went on to win gold. Other gold medalists from that event include Amit Elor and Sakura Motoki, who became Olympic champions 2 years later in Paris. Antim’s Olympic sojourn was not so fruitful. But we know, the story does not end there.
Antim is a curious name. There must be equivalents of this name in most Indian languages. In Tamil, it is ‘PodhumPonnu’; literally means ‘enough of girls’. If you are from this part of the world, you might understand the stigma, sometimes associated with having girl children; the ‘burden’ it brings upon the family.
Antim’s parents had 3 girls before her and were keen on having a boy. So, as per village convention, when they gave birth to a 4th girl child, they named her ‘Antim’; they’d had enough. Their state, Haryana, has the worst sex ratio (female: male ratio) of all Indian states. But Ramniwas Panghal, Antim’s father was no ordinary dad. He wanted the best for his girls, against all odds. He wanted them to shine in sports. Sarita became a state-level Kabaddi player. Antim chose wrestling. Antim took to the wrestling mat, like a fish to water.
2023 brought another U20 world championships gold. She was just 18. But she already was ready to take the big plunge into the senior level. Stood her in her way was the legend- Vinesh Phogat. Vinesh in 2023 was known more for her struggles outside the mat, but she was still ‘the Vinesh’. The world championships was just a month away and it was between Antim and Vinesh to get a place in the national team.
The finals of the selection trials was an extremely cagey affair with Antim claiming her biggest scalp so far. That gave her a ticket to her first international senior event, the 2023 world championships. 2023 was pre-Olympics year and this was the first event that offered quota places for the Olympics. A medal would guarantee a quota place for the country, but competition was going to be the toughest in her fledgling career.
Waiting for her in the first round at Belgrade 2023 was Dominique Parrish, reigning world champion. Antim, possibly in her best shape, edged Parrish 3-2. Impressive win over the Russian, Natalia Malysheva followed and suddenly Antim was standing on the cusp of history. A medal in her first senior world championships and a quota place at the Olympics beckoned! I will never forget that semifinal vs Vanesa Kaladzinskaya.
Antim was leading until the dying seconds, when she suffered an exposure. She eventually beat Joanna Malmgren of Sweden to win a deserved bronze, and the wrestling world was just in awe of the new girl prodigy from Haryana. Antim was the only Indian wrestler to get a quota place from the Olympics from the world championships. History suggests that these are the athletes who end up with an Olympic medal the next year.
2024, however was not smooth. Vinesh moved court to challenge Antim for the Olympic quota place. But she knew Antim’s pedigree and decided to contest in two weight categories- 50 and 53 Kg. To the best of my knowledge, I do not think this has happened before or since; a wrestler competing in two weight categories in the same competition. 50 and 53 Kg do not seem to too different, but in competitive sport, these are worlds apart. Vinesh ultimately made it from the 50 Kg category and Antim from 53 Kg.
My hands start to shake, heart quivers as I recollect the events surrounding Indian women’s wrestling at Paris 2024. I do not want to think about what happened in the 50 Kg ever or the tragic injury suffered by Nisha Dahiya. So much was expected off Antim and when the draw was released, we had confirmed that Antim would get a medal at the very least. She had to beat less accomplished wrestlers from Turkey and Germany before facing Lucia Yepez of Ecuador, who was expected to be her toughest test before the finals.
Well, Antim and all fans would like to forget what transpired. She lost to the Turkish, who lost to the German, who lost to Lucia Yepez. Technically, Antim was dead last from her side of the draw. But this was not the last of her humiliation at the Paris Olympics. She lost her accreditation card because her sister, a wrestler used it to enter the Olympic village and was detained by security. Her entourage was sent back to India in acrimony.
2025 has been a new dawn for Antim after the nightmare of 2024. She won the ranking series events (not the most competitive) in Mongolia and Hungary and went into the continental and world championships with confidence. Antim won bronze in the Amman Asian championships, losing to reigning 55 Kg world champion, Moe Kiyooka.
The usual suspects, someone from Japan, China, Lucia Yepez, Joanna Malmgren were expected to be her main opponents in the world championships. Antim was unlucky to lose a close match vs the ever-improving Yepez and had to settle for a bronze after beating the swede, Malmgren.
Antim is just 21 and already has a resume and experiences that someone would be happy to have over an entire career. She is obviously yet to hit her peak form. Antim has the same frailties that most top-level Indian wrestlers are accused of. She looks less muscular compared to wrestlers of the same weight and so has lesser explosive strength. She relies more on nous and technique to accumulate points and rarely does she overpower her opponents like Fujinami or Yepez.
Most of her gut wrenches or leg laces end up being unsuccessful. If she can bulk up her muscle mass and maintain her weight, she could become a beast at 53 Kg or may be move to 57 Kg. You just must look at how Sushil Kumar levelled up between 2008 and 2012 and it is very well within the realms of possibility for Antim.
In a way, Antim is not a Vinesh regen- she is an evolved form of Vinesh. She can potentially better Vinesh’s achievements and more. Her medals are not because of luck of the draw, as some might claim. Her class and potential are clear for all to see. She must keep up the upward growth trajectory, develop more moves effective ways to unlock resolute defenses. And she should learn to fight till the final second as some of her lough losses might already have taught her. Hopefully the stints of training at Japan should take her to the nest level.
All the best, Antim! You might be the last of your clan but your rightful place is at the top of the pile.
