Why Antim Panghal's rise should be cause of worry for ace wrestler Vinesh Phogat?

The 19-year-old competes in the same weight bracket as the veteran and recently won silver in the Asian Championships.

While Vinesh Phogat has established herself as one of the greatest female wrestlers from India, Antim Panghal is making waves and is perceived to have a bright future in the sport. Despite belonging to the same weight class, the two wrestlers have been working on distinctive goals lately. They are none other than three-time Commonwealth Games gold medalist Vinesh Phogat and rising star Antim Panghal. 

Why has Vinesh Phogat been out of international events?

For Vinesh, the battle is not just about herself but even a much greater cause. Besides Vinesh, many Indian wrestlers including Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist Bajrang Punia, Rio Olympics medalist Sakshi Malik, and Sangeeta Phogat led the sit-in protest in Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on January 18, 2023, against the Wrestling Federation of India’s (WFI) President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh accusing him and other coaches of sexual misconduct, harassment, and mental torture. Vinesh also stated that 'at least 10 to 20 girls' have encountered sexual harassment at the wrestling camps.

The protest led to the stepping down of WFI President Brij Bhushan till the issue was resolved. However, elite wrestlers like Vinesh, Bajrang, and Sakshi opted out from participating in international wrestling tournaments like the United World Wrestling (UWW) Ranking Series tournament until the Indian Sports Ministry’s Oversight Committee submitted their report regarding the case on Brij Bhushan.

Antim Panghal’s performance at the Asian Wrestling Championships 2023

However, Vinesh Phogat withdrawing her name from the international wrestling events implied that it was the perfect opportunity for Antim Panghal to become a standout performer in the women’s 53kg event. Antim exactly did so in the absence of her experienced compatriot.

She capitalized on all the chances with her fine performance in the National selection trials conducted under the supervision of the Oversight Committee at the Indira Gandhi Arena. She, thus, booked herself a spot in the Asian Wrestling Championships 2023.

At the Asian Wrestling Championships 2023, the 19-year-old Antim lived up to the expectations by advancing to the finals of the women’s 53kg. On her way to the final, she overcame the challenges from Aktenge Keunimjaeva in the semi-final, Li Deng in the quarter-final, and Alvina Lim during the qualifications. In the final, she faced a stiff challenge from Akari Fujinami, the reigning World champion, and eventually lost by 0-10 to end up with the silver medal.

Vinesh Phogat vs Antim Panghal

Considering Antim’s rise in the sport in such a short span of time, there is no doubt that the women’s 53kg will be an anticipated clash in the coming times, especially at the national level. It is interesting to note that in the matchups held between Antim and Vinesh Phogat, the latter defeated the youngster on two occasions. During the selection trials for Commonwealth Games 2022, the two wrestlers locked horns. Although Antim was leading by 3-0 initially, Vinesh used her experience to turn the tables in her favour. 

The next time the two wrestlers met at the National Selection Trials 2022 with the women’s 53kg slot up for grabs for the World Wrestling Championships 2022. Unlike last time, Vinesh was the stronger opponent right from the start as she defeated Antim 7-0 by blocking all of her attacks and striking on the counter. This came just two weeks after Antim had scripted history for India becoming the first-ever U-20 world champion.

Will Antim’s rise in the sport affect Vinesh Phogat’s chances?

Although Vinesh emerged as the better opponent in their previous encounters, Antim has shown tremendous potential in a very short period. This silver medal victory at the Asian Wrestling Championships 2023 will surely add up to her confidence. If Vinesh continues to miss out on the selection trials, Antim will be rewarded with experience through her participation at international events against some top-level wrestlers of the world. 

The three-time Commonwealth Games champion Vinesh might also miss the opportunity to represent India at prestigious events like Asian Games 2022 if the Sports Ministry decides to send athletes based on their latest performance and records. As a result, she might lose out on a chance to defend her Asian Games title as she was the gold medalist in the Asian Games 2018 held in Jakarta, Indonesia.