Antim Panghal wins bronze on tough day for Indian wrestlers at Asian Games

Hangzhou: Teen sensation Antim Panghal humbled Tokyo Olympics medallist Bolortuya Bat-Ochir 3-1 to win a bronze medal but other Indian wrestlers struggled badly at the Asian Games here on Thursday.

The 19-year-old Antim bounced back after losing to two-time Japanese world champion Akari Fujinami in the quarter-finals in a superb manner as she did not let the Mongolian attack much in

the women’s 53kg bronze play-off.

Antim saved the day for the Indian contingent which badly needed a medal after Narinder Cheema (Greco-Roman 97kg), Naveen (Greco Roman 130kg) and Pooja Gehlot (women’s 50kg) were ousted.

Pooja was outplayed 2-9 in the bronze medal bout

by Aktenge Keunimjaeva,

the Asian championship bronze winner.

A lot was expected from Mansi Ahlawat (women’s 57kg) too but she ended up losing her bronze play-off ‘by fall’ to Uzbekistan’s Laylokhon Sobirova, who needed just 70 seconds to win the contest.

Antim had come to Hangzhou after winning a bronze at the world championships and she carried her good form into the prestigious event.

Her bronze is only the second wrestling medal of this edition. She raced to a 3-0 lead after scoring her first point on the passivity of the Mongolian and later scored off a brilliant counter-attack.

Antim foiled a single-leg attack from the Bolortuya and later lost a point in the second period when she was put on ‘clock’.