New Delhi: The final match of the U20 World Wrestling Championships in the 53kg category was completed with a big achievement for India. India’s junior wrestler Antim Panghal scripted history on Friday by winning the final match against Kazakhstan and taking home the gold medal. He defeated Kazakistan’s wrestler Atlyn Shagayeva in the final after beating Ukraine’s Nataliia Klivchutska in the semi-final match.
Antim Panghal Scripts History For India! ?
My heartiest Congratulations to her on becoming the first Indian girl to win a Gold medal at the U-20 World Championships.
She displayed remarkable grit and commitment. Best wishes to her for future endeavors. pic.twitter.com/9oP07TpIzf
— Dr Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) August 20, 2022
Before Antim, current gold medalists at CWG games Deepak Punia, Ramesh Kumar, Palwinder Singh Cheema and Pappu Yadav became U20 World Champions.
Antim starts the tournament against Germany’s Amery Olivia
Antim Panghal’s journey for the gold medal started with a match against German Amery Olivia, whom she defeated by 11-0 with technical superiority. In her second match in the tournament, she vanquished Japan’s Ayaka Kimura. After this match, she reached the semi-final to face Nataliia Klivchutska from Ukraine.
Panghal also conquered Klivchutska by a big margin of 11-2. In the final, Panghal was challenged by Kazakistan’s Altyn Shagayeva. She won the bout by 8-0 margin. Ahead of the break, she had a 6-0 lead that helped her to maintain her lead in the match.
Who is Antim Panghal?
The 18-year-old wrestler Antim Panghal was born in Haryana’s Bhagana village. She has four siblings in her family and is the youngest among them. Her elder sister Sarita plays Kabaddi for India. However, Antim decided to pursue wrestling due to her love for the game. Earlier this year, she won silver at the U23 Asian Championships.
In past, she won bronze at the Cadet World Championships (2021) and gold at the Asian Junior Championships.
