Vinesh Phogat, the poster girl of Indian wrestling, has competition. Nineteen-year-old Antim Panghal, the first-ever world under-20 wrestling champion, wants to set the bar so high that “no one (in India) can ever break my records.” Both Vinesh and Antim are from Haryana, but that is where their commonality ends. In a new episode of the ‘Fit India Champions Podcast’ released on Saturday, Antim talks about her resolution to ‘not touch jalebis for at least a year’ and why she wants to emulate her idol, two-time Olympic medalist Sushil Kumar . .
“I have never met Sushil Pehelwan but I was blown away when I heard his work ethic and how hard he prepared to win an Olympic medal. I really want to be like him and if he was the gold standard in men’s wrestling, I want people to say that Antim is the ultimate in women,” a candid 19-year-old told podcast host Ekta Vishnoi.
The ‘Fit India Champions’ podcast series aims to spread the message of wellness through conversations with athletes and health influencers. The 10-episode series is a collaboration with GOQii, a key stakeholder in the fitness industry that proactively manages health through its digital and multimedia technology.
Antim, who has qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in the women’s 53kg category, revealed that choosing wrestling as a career was the best decision she made in her life. Coming from a family where elder sister (Sarita) and father Ram Niwas were kabaddi players, Antim decided to take up wrestling because “it is an individual sport and selection in any national team depended only on hard work and nothing else. I saw how sad my sister would be if she wasn’t selected.”
Antim’s career as a wrestler started at the local dangals (wrestling competition), usually held in akhadas (schools) with mud pools. “I played and won a lot in the dangals and when I switched to mats at cadet level, I was never afraid. In 2019 I learned that you can only play in the 2024 Olympics if I put in a lot of hard work. Complete dedication and discipline ” said Antim, adding that she trains for about eight hours every day under coach Bhagat Singh.
“My parents and my sisters continue to support me and in Bhagat Singh I have a mentor who not only keeps me on my toes but also takes care of every detail in my preparation. For extra motivation, I don’t have to look further than my coach because we are steadfast in our goals,” said the 2023 United World Wrestling Rising Star of the Year.
Although she still has a long way to go to catch up with Vinesh Phogat, Antim Panghal, 10 years younger than Vinesh, is the first Indian female wrestler to win gold medals at the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games and a medalist at multiple world championships. will set some records that will be “hard to beat”.
“Winning an Olympic medal is my dream. It is a family project and if I could do that, I would have reciprocated the sacrifices my parents and sisters made for me,” said Antim, whose father moved from the village to the city Hissar moved and bought a buffalo. to ensure that his daughter was never short of fresh milk!
“Doodh (milk) and ghee became my staples because my parents just wouldn’t let me go. Now I’m used to them and naturally supplement my meals with fruits, nuts and dalia, roti and sabji (vegetables). I love lassi ,’ Antim said, chuckling.
Antim also has a sweet tooth. “I love jalebis, but on my last birthday I promised my coach that I won’t even have one until my next birthday on August 31, 2024. It’s a resolution because I have a goal to achieve and I’m pretty determined ” said Antim. .
The Paris 2024 wrestling match will be held between August 5 and 11 at the Champ de Mars Arena. If Antim manages to win a medal on her Olympic debut, and not just jalebis, she will have the world at her feet.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by WhatsNew2Day staff and published from a press release)
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