Antim Panghal, born in 2004, is a wrestler from Haryana, India. She became the first Indian to win the U-20 World Wrestling Championship and secured a silver medal at the 2023 Asian Wrestling Championship.
Disciplinary beach
Wrestler Antim Panghal and her support staff were sent back to India by the Indian Olympic Association following a disciplinary breach. Antim had given her Olympic Village accreditation to her sister, an incident reported by French authorities, which led to her return. Before this, Antim had been defeated by Turkey’s Zeynep Yetgil in the women’s 53 kg freestyle round of 16.
The statement issued by the Indian Olympic Association
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) is planning to impose a three-year ban on wrestler Antim Panghal, according to a source who spoke to PTI on Thursday. In a statement, the IOA confirmed that Antim and her support staff had violated disciplinary rules, as reported by French authorities. “The Indian Olympic Association has decided to send wrestler Antim and her support staff back after a disciplinary breach was brought to the IOA’s attention by the French authorities,” the statement read.
Antim Panghal issues clarification
The wrestler explained that her sister was not arrested but was taken to the police station for “verification” of the accreditation and was later released. Antim also noted that, following her quarterfinal loss, she visited her sister, who was staying at a hotel, because she was feeling unwell.
“I lost the match because I wasn’t able to perform properly. Afterward, I heard reports that my sister was arrested by the police, but that wasn’t true. I wasn’t feeling well after the match and had a fever. My sister, who was at a hotel, called me there. I requested permission from the Indian coach to go, stating that I was feeling ill, and was granted permission. I went to the hotel but needed some items that were still in the Olympic village,” Antim explained.
“I rested at the hotel because of my illness. My sister took my accreditation and went to the village to collect my belongings. She asked the officials if she could retrieve my things, and they took her to the police station for verification of the accreditation. She was only taken there for this purpose and was not detained. The police did not contact me. They verified the accreditation and then released her.”
Antim wrapped up her statement by appealing to her fans for support and asking them not to believe the rumors “Regarding my return to India, I contacted SAI officials right after the match to arrange a flight home for today or as soon as possible tomorrow. The flight was already booked. Please avoid spreading rumors. I’ve had a tough day, so I ask for your support,” the wrestler said.
