Antim Panghal Faces Tough Defeat at Paris Olympics

In a disappointing start to her Olympic journey, Indian wrestler Antim Panghal faced a heavy loss against Turkey‘s Zeynep Yetgil in the round of 16 of the women’s 53kg freestyle wrestling event at the Paris Olympics 2024.

The match was a quick affair, lasting only 1 minute and 41 seconds. Zeynep Yetgil quickly seized control, racking up points rapidly and ultimately securing a victory by technical superiority with a score of 10-0, leaving the 19-year-old Indian wrestler in tears.

This defeat marked a tough moment for Antim, who had previously earned a bronze medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games, as her chances of fighting for a bronze medal at the Olympics were dashed when Yetgil lost in the quarterfinals.

Earlier on the same day, Indian wrestling faced another blow when Vinesh Phogat was disqualified ahead of her gold medal match in the women’s 50kg freestyle event. Vinesh missed the weight cut by just over 100 grams, which meant she couldn’t compete against the USA‘s Sarah Hilderbrandt for the gold medal.

Both Antim’s and Vinesh’s performances have left Indian wrestling fans in shock as the tournament continues.