New Delhi: On August 18th, Antim Pangal achieved an astounding feat of incredible agility and strength, defending her 53kg title and becoming the first women to win the U20 World Championship for the second year in a row.
She became an Indian wrestler and left her name in history. Pangal as well as Savita (62kg) became world champion as the Indian women’s team won the team title at the World Cup for the first time in the history of the sport.
Seven of the country’s wrestlers won medals in a staggering result for Indian wrestling. 3 gold medals, 1 silver medal by Antim Kundu (65kg), 3 bronze medals by Reena (57kg), Arju (68kg) and Harshita. 72kg).
PM Modi hails Indian women’s triumph
Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi took on Twitter to hail the achievement of the Indian women’s wrestlers. “A monumental triumph for Indian Women Wrestlers! Our team has won the Women Wrestling team title at the 2023 U-20 World Championships, delivering an unparalleled performance with 7 medals, of which 3 are Golds. Among the memorable performances was by Antim for retaining her title becoming the first ever to win it twice! This glorious win stands as an embodiment of the unwavering commitment, sheer determination and exceptional talent of our emerging wrestlers.” PM wrote on his Twitter handle.
A monumental triumph for Indian Women Wrestlers! Our team has won the Women Wrestling team title at the 2023 U-20 World Championships, delivering an unparalleled performance with 7 medals, of which 3 are Golds. Among the memorable performances was by Antim for retaining her title… pic.twitter.com/qs5w7dKzgR
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 19, 2023
Antim Pangal against Ukrainian rival Maria Efremova
Pangal, from Hisar, Haryana, beat Ukrainian rival Maria Efremova comfortably 4-0. She fought with great ferocity and authority, allowing only two points in the entire tournament. It was clear that she was the future woman in this category. She proved it wasn’t arrogance when she challenged Vinesh Phogat in the Asian Games trial, and she should have been seeded directly because she won the trial over the prestigious senior wrestler. No, she repeated.
Pangal astonishing feat
Pangal became the first Indian wrestler to win a junior world title last year, and she is already well on her way to the senior division. She didn’t give in to Yefremova, parrying hes leg attacks with incredible mental strength. Pangal’s movements are fast and her two-legged attacks with her tremendous power left the Ukrainian breathless. She sealed her fight with her right leg attack, turning it into a takedown.
Savita’s match recap
In the 62kg final, Savita set the mat on fire with a technical superiority victory over Venezuela’s A. Paola Montero Chirinos. The wrestler from Rohtak scored at will. She started with a two-point shot and continued to build a lead against the seemingly defenseless Chirinos. Savita, who were leading 9-0 at the end of the first period, scored without conceding just after the start of the second period.
Antim Kundu match
Antim Kundu did not show his true form in the final, losing 9-2 to hometown hero Eniko Elekes. In the 57kg class, Lina beat Kazakhstan’s Shugyla Omirbek 9-4 to win the bronze medal. She led 5-0 and secured her podium spot after last minute drama. With the score at 5-2, the referee awarded the Kazakh wrestler 4 points after the move, but the Indian wrestler overturned the decision and won 9-4.
Leena & Harshita triumph
Earlier in the day, Lena won two repackage matches to advance to the medal round. Harshita has ended the Indian election campaign in a fitting way by fielding his Moldovan rival, Emilia Creciun. By this point she was leading 6-0, but Harshita found the “win to die for her” trick by returning Creciun to the mat.
