Antim makes the cut for wrestling worlds, eyes her second medal
The gap between Antim and her rivals in the 53kg category was evident at the IG Stadium here on Sunday. She dominated the competition, defeating Pooja 6-0 and then overpowering Hinaben Khalifa of Gujarat 11-0 in the final.
At just 21, Antim has already made her mark on the global stage, winning a bronze medal at the 2023 World Championships. While she has no real domestic challenger at the moment, her true test lies in asserting herself consistently at the international level. With her recent performances, Antim is widely regarded as India's top woman wrestler and seen as the natural successor to Vinesh Phogat – one of the most prominent figures in Indian wrestling.
A two-time world junior champion, Antim has made a seamless transition to the senior circuit. Her medal-winning performances at the 2023 Asian Games and World Championships, besides qualifying for the Paris Olympics, underline her rising stature in the sport.
However, the Paris Games campaign was a disappointment. Apart from her first-round exit, her behaviour off the mat also drew criticism following an off-field controversy involving her personal coaching team.
This season, Antim has let her performances do the talking, although there were some disciplinary concerns because of her absence from the national camp, which prompted the Wrestling Federation of India to issue a stern warning. A proposal to train abroad with her personal coach was also not entertained.
Antim seems to have put all that behind. She is boosted by winning two UWW international ranking series events this year.
'World Championships is the main competition this year and I am happy that I was able to seal the berth. I won a bronze in 2023 and my aim is to improve the colour of my medal,' Antim told HT.
'After Paris, I focused on my fitness and getting back on the mat. I missed the national championships but came back to the national team after winning the selection trials (Asian Championships).'
This season she has competed in three meets and finished on the podium in all of them. A bronze at the Asian meet in Jordan in March was followed by gold at Ulaanbaatar Open in May and Polyak Imre & Varga Janos Memorial in July, where she won 10-0 against Turkey's Zeynep Yetgil, who eliminated her in Paris.
'I think I am at a good level. I was able to comfortably beat her (Yetgil). I am more mature now, though there's still a lot to learn. But now I am able to execute my plans better. Earlier, I was just going there and competing without much understanding of the game situation and my opponents.'
Asked about the Paris controversy, Antim said she felt down for some time because it was not her fault.
'There was some confusion in the entire episode. There was a lot of pressure on me and I could not deliver in Paris. I felt bad but my family and people around me were a very big support. If I have made any mistake then they would tell me. The training at national camp with different sparring partners has helped. I am now more attacking.
'This is a comeback for me and I am looking at bigger goals. Yes, the World Championships is the first target, then Asian Games and LA 2028 qualification.'
While Antim is the most experienced and strongest medal prospect for the worlds, there were some promising junior wrestlers who made it to the squad. The WFI, on the suggestion of the national coaches, allowed the medallists of U20 Worlds and U20 Asian meets also to participate.
'We are building the team for the LA Olympics and that's why the juniors were also asked to appear for the trials. The result is impressive. It's mostly a young team (18-20 year-olds) full of exciting new talents who have replaced the seniors,' said chief coach Virender Dahiya.
'We want to win medals but we will keep an eye on how they progress at this world championships,' he said.
Paris Olympian Nisha Dahiya (68kg) lost the trials to eventual winner Radika, while four juniors Tapasya (57kg), Jyoti Berwal (72kg), Neha Sangwan (59kg) and Priya Malik (76kg) won in different categories. They won the world junior trials a week ago and the senior trials on Sunday.
All eyes were also on Vaishnavi Patil (65kg), the wrestler from Maharashtra who made it to the team beating Haryana's Muskan 7-2 in the final. Vaishnavi might not be from wrestling powerhouse Haryana but she has been training in Hisar at Sushil Kumar Akhada. She switched base four years back as there were not many academies with good facilities in Maharashtra and the move has paid off.
Team: Ankush (50kg), Antim Panghal (53kg), Nishu (55kg), Tapasya (57kg), Neha Sangwan (59kg), Manisha (62kg), Vaishnavi Patil (65kg), Radhika (68kg), Jyoti Berwal (72kg), Priya Malik (76kg).
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