Paris: World Championship bronze medalist wrestler Antim Panghal was eliminated in the first round of the women’s 53kg category at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Wednesday.
She was defeated by Zeynep Yetgil of Turkey with a score of 0-10 due to technical superiority. Panghal’s hopes for repechage diminished, and her departure was sealed when Yetgil was defeated by Germany’s Annika Wendle in the quarter-finals.
Ranked fourth in the tournament, Panghal’s loss to an unseeded competitor was unexpected. She performed poorly in the first round, losing the match in just 100 seconds.
Yetgil began aggressively, countering Panghal’s attack and taking her down for two points. Following the throw, she executed a turn to extend her lead to 4-0. Yetgil then completed another reversal, earning four points with a takedown and securing the victory on technical superiority.
The Indian wrestling team faced challenges at the Paris Olympics, with 50kg class wrestler Vinesh Phogat being disqualified from her gold medal match for exceeding the weight limit, thus forfeiting a certain medal.
Previously, Nisha Dahiya was defeated in the 68kg quarterfinals after sustaining a hand injury against Pak Sol Gum of North Korea. India’s contingent still includes three wrestlers: Aman Sehrawat in the men’s 57kg, Anshu Malik in the women’s 57kg, and Reetika Hooda in the women’s 76kg categories.
