Antim Panghal’s day at the World Wrestling Championships began with ease but ended in heartbreak.
The 21-year-old Indian wrestler opened her campaign in the 53kg category with a lightning-quick 23-second win over Spain’s Carla Jaume Soler.
But by the end of the night, she was lying on the mat, exhausted, blood glistening on her lips, and struggling to hold back tears after a tough semifinal defeat.
It was a painful reminder of her last outing on wrestling’s biggest stage—the Paris Olympics—where she had also left distraught. This time, too, it ended in disappointment, though the fight she put up was far braver.
The semifinal battle
In the last-four clash, Antim faced one of the most dangerous names in the 53kg category: Ecuador’s Lucia Yepez, the Paris Olympics silver medallist.
Known for her explosive style and rock-solid defence, Yepez has troubled even Japanese wrestlers, considered the best in the world.
Antim fought with everything she had—clutching at Yepez’s ankles, trying rolls, counterattacks, and even power moves. But just over a minute into the bout, she was caught off guard.
Attempting an upper-body throw, Antim found herself lifted high in a brilliant fireman’s carry by Yepez, who slammed her down for four points. Initially scored as two by the judge, it was upgraded to four by the referee. Antim’s corner considered challenging the decision but chose not to.
Those points proved crucial. Despite Antim’s late effort, including a takedown in the dying seconds, she went down 5-3. The loss stung deeply, but she still has a chance to redeem herself with a bronze-medal match on Thursday.
The road to the semifinal
Antim’s earlier bouts had showcased both her ruthless aggression and her fighting spirit.
Her opening match against Soler was over in a flash. Within just five seconds, Antim had gripped her opponent’s ankle, brought her down, and followed up with four quick leg laces to secure a commanding 10-0 win by technical superiority in only 23 seconds.
Her quarterfinal against China’s teenage wrestler Jin Zhang was an entirely different story. At first, it looked easy—Antim raced to a 6-0 lead with three clean takedowns.
She displayed the new variations she had worked on in training camp, including sharp transitions and powerful snaps. But Zhang fought back fiercely.
With her dangerous leg attacks and laces, the Chinese wrestler turned the tables, scoring eight points in quick succession to lead 8-6.
Antim, bleeding from her mouth after an accidental hit, refused to give up. With just three seconds left, she gripped Zhang’s chest, summoned all her strength, and pulled off a two-point takedown to snatch victory 9-8. It was a gutsy comeback and set her up for the clash against Yepez.
Lessons from defeat
Against Yepez, however, the same script did not repeat. The Ecuadorian circled relentlessly, kept Antim at bay, and blocked nearly every attempt. Antim managed a late takedown again, but unlike the quarterfinal, it wasn’t enough.
For now, the two-time junior world champion will have to put the semifinal setback behind her and focus on winning her second consecutive World Championship bronze.
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