New Delhi:<\/b> Indian wrestler Antim Panghal was disappointed not to have won the gold medal in the women's 53kg final at the Asian Games but was proud of the silver she won with some strong performances.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Antim lost the gold medal bout to Japan's Moe Kiyooka, who was the 2024 World Championships' gold medallist in the 55kg category. Antim now has upgraded her bronze from the Hangzhou Games 2023 to a silver at the Aichi-Nagoya Games, something she stays proud of despite the final loss.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"Of course, I\u2019m a little disappointed that I couldn\u2019t win gold, but I\u2019m still very proud to have won a silver medal for India at the Asian Games. Every athlete dreams of winning a medal for the country, and to be able to do that on this stage means a lot to me,\" she said.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The Haryana-born athlete underwent intense training in preparation for the major events and reflected on the sacrifices she has had to make. \"There have been so many sacrifices, difficult days and moments when things have not gone my way, but I kept believing in myself and working hard. <\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"I\u2019m especially thankful to WFI, Inspire Institute of Sport and Parth Jindal sir, who has supported me, guided me and helped me improve throughout this journey. I'll take this experience, learn from it and keep working hard to come back stronger,\" Antim added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Antim was the only Indian woman wrestler to bag a medal at the Asiad, as five other medals were won by male grapplers. The 21-year-old had produced a dominant run to reach the final, opening her campaign with a 9-0 victory over Kazakhstan's Shugyla Omirbek before defeating Uzbekistan's Sakibjamal Esbosynova 8-0 in the quarterfinals.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
She then overcame China's Jin Zhang 6-1 in the semifinal. After conceding the opening point, Antim responded strongly by scoring six unanswered points to book her place in the title clash.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Antim was the only Indian woman wrestler to bag a medal at the Asiad, as five other medals were won by male grapplers. The 21-year-old had produced a dominant run to reach the final, opening her campaign with a 9-0 victory over Kazakhstan's Shugyla Omirbek before defeating Uzbekistan's Sakibjamal Esbosynova 8-0 in the quarterfinals.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Also Read: <\/b> Special Cricket Stories<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n