Indian female wrestler Antim Panghal scripted history when she successfully defended the U-20 World Wrestling Championship by defeating Ukrainian wrestler Mariia Yefremova in the final held at the Amman International Stadium in Jordan.
Panghal, who is from the Indian state of Haryana, displayed raw power and strategic moves against Yefremova as she secured a 4-0 win. In the entire tournament, Panghal wrestled in such a dominant way that she conceded only two points against all her competitors.
Hailing the historic feat of Panghal, Federal Sports Minister Anurag Thakur in a late night tweet on Friday said that "She shone bright with her incredible skills and confidence on the mat throughout the tournament. The entire nation rejoices in her accomplishments Fantastic effort Antim, looking forward to your performance at the #AsianGames2022."
Antim Panghal Successfully Defends U-20 World Championship Title
© Photo : Twitter@ianuragthakur
Apart from Panghal, the other female Indian grapplers Savita and Priya Malik also won the titles in their respective categories.
Savita defeated France’s Mathilde Thiebaux in the 62 kg category while Malik defeated Germany’s Laura Celine Kuehn in the 76 kg category.
Savita is now a double world champion after having won the U-17 world title in the 61kg category earlier this month in Istanbul. She has been unbeaten this year prior to the U-17 Wold Championship she had won U20-U15 Asian Championships in Jordan in July and U23-U17 Asian Championships in June 2023.
Meanwhile, another Indian grappler, Antim Kundu, won a silver medal in the 65 kg category after she conceded defeat in a bout against Russian wrestler Ekaterina Koshkina.
Apart from this, wrestlers Reena, Arju and Harshita won bronze medals in the 57 kg, 68 kg and 72 kg categories.
Overall, the Indian team won the Women's Team Title for the first time as it won seven medal including two gold, one silver and three bronze.
Thakur lauded the efforts of the team in another tweet as he said: “Hats off to Women's Wrestling Team for their awe-inspiring performance at the U-20 World Championships 2023, clinching the coveted ‘Women’s Team Title’, a first for India across any age group."
“Emerging as Champions ahead of formidable USA, Japan, and Ukraine with an astounding tally of 7 medals: 3 Gold, 1 Silver and 3 Bronze speaks volume about their grit and talent. Congratulations on setting new benchmarks in the sport and igniting a new era of sporting excellence. I once again congratulate all the athletes, coaches, and support staff on this monumental achievement!,” he added.
Indian Sports Minister Anurag Thakur Lauds India Team for Splending Performance in U-20 World Championship in Jordan
© Photo : Twitter/@ianuragthakur
In men’s wrestling, India’s Mohit Kumar won the gold medal in the 61 kg freestyle category by defeating Russia’s Eldar Akhmaduninov.
Prior to Kumar, Deepak Punia had won the junior title in 2019, following Palwinder Cheema and Ramesh Kumar in 2001 in the freestyle category.
A total of 31 Indian wrestlers were in action at the world championships held in Amman, Jordan.