Astana [Kazakhstan], April 12 (ANI): Antim Panghal, one of many rising athletes in India, competing in her first worldwide match this yr, bagged a silver medal on the Asian Wrestling Championships 2023 in Astana, Kazakhstan on Wednesday.
18-year-old Panghal conceded only one level on her journey to the 53kg last. Her opponent within the last was the 2021 world champion Akari Fujinami of Japan, who defeated Antim Panghal 10-0 by way of technical superiority.
The 19-year-old Japanese wrestler has set excessive requirements for herself. She has by no means settled for something lower than gold in worldwide tournaments. She was unbeaten in 118 matches throughout home and worldwide competitions coming into the ultimate.
In the sooner rounds, Antim Panghal acquired the higher of Singaporean veteran Alvina Lim by way of fall and after that, she blanked China’s Li Deng 6-0 within the quarter-finals.
In the semi-finals, Panghal raced to a 4-0 lead towards Aktenge Keunimjaeva of Uzbekistan earlier than conceding her first level of the day. Antim Panghal lastly managed to pin her opponent to earn a shot at gold.
The remaining 4 Indian ladies wrestlers – Anshu Malik (57kg), Sonam Malik (62kg), Manisha (65kg) and Reetika Hooda (72kg) – all ended up settling for a bronze.
The 2021 World Championships silver medallist Anshu Malik, gained her bronze medal bout towards Erdenesuvd Bat Erdene of Mongolia 10-0 by way of technical superiority.
Earlier, she was crushed 5-1 by the previous Asian champion and eventual gold medallist Sae Nanjo of Japan within the semi-final after scoring victories over Qi Zhang of China and Danielle Sue Ching Lim of Singapore.
Tokyo 2020 Olympian Sonam Malik misplaced her quarter-final match towards 2017 world champion Orkhon Purevdorj of Mongolia by fall however with Purevdorj making it to the ultimate, Sonam Malik earned a shot at bronze by way of a repechage.
In the bronze medal bout, Sonam Malik beat the 2019 Asian champion and present world No. 2 Xiaojuan Luo of China 5-1.
Manisha competed within the round-robin format and certified for the semi-finals in 72kg. However, the Indian wrestler misplaced to U20 world champion Mahiro Yoshitake of Japan by fall after which beat Albina Kairgeldinova of Kazakhstan to clinch bronze.
Reetika Hooda, in the meantime, defeated Nurzat Nurtaeva of Kyrgyzstan 6-3 within the qualification spherical however misplaced to Sumire Niikura of Japan 5-4 within the semi-final.
Reetika Hooda’s largest victory of the day got here towards Svetlana Oknazarova of Uzbekistan. The Indian wrestler defeated Oknazarova, a 2018 Youth Olympic Games bronze medallist, 5-1 to assert the bronze.
With 5 medals on the day, Indian ladies wrestlers completed the Asian Championships 2023 with seven medals, together with two silver and 5 bronze.
At final yr’s Asian championships in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Indian ladies wrestlers gained 5 medals – two silvers and three bronze. (ANI)