Antim Panghal, the world championship bronze medalist, suffered a disappointing first-round defeat at the Paris Olympics 2024 in the women's 53kg category. She was outclassed by Zeynep Yetgil of Turkey, losing by a decisive score of 0-10 through technical superiority.
Antim Panghal's Olympic Journey Ends Early
Panghal's hopes for repechage were dashed when Yetgil was pinned by Annika Wendle of Germany in the quarter-finals, eliminating any possibility of a medal for the Indian wrestler.
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Antim Panghal, the fourth seed in the women's 53kg category, faced a surprising and disappointing defeat in the first round of the Paris Olympics. Her loss to unseeded Zeynep Yetgil came as a shock to many. The match was a swift and decisive affair, lasting only 100 seconds. Yetgil displayed aggression from the start, countering Panghal's attacks and executing a series of throws that earned her a comfortable lead. Panghal was unable to recover from the early setbacks, and Yetgil eventually secured a technical superiority victory.
Nisha Dahiya Out of Olympics Due to Injury
India's Nisha Dahiya was forced to withdraw from the 68kg quarterfinal match at the Paris Olympics due to a hand injury sustained during the bout against North Korea's Pak Sol Gum. The injury has brought a premature end to Dahiya's Olympic campaign. India still has three wrestlers competing at the Games: Aman Sehrawat in the men's 57kg, Anshu Malik in the women's 57kg, and Reetika Hooda in the women's 76kg.
Antim's ouster adds to India's wrestling woes at the Paris Olympics, following the earlier disqualification of Vinesh Phogat due to weight issues.
Vinesh Phogat Disqualified Due to Weight Issue
Right ahead of her gold medal clash against USA’s Sarah Hildebrandt, Vinesh Phogat, competing in the 50kg freestyle wrestling category, was disqualified from the Paris Olympics after failing to meet the weight requirements. Normally competing in the 53kg category, Phogat had successfully reduced her weight to 50kg for the Paris Games. However, on the second day of weigh-ins, she was found to be 100 grams overweight. The Indian Olympic Association has filed an appeal against the disqualification.
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