Sky is the limit, when it comes to Antim Panghal’s ambition. India’s first-ever under-20 world wrestling champion wants to set the bar so high that “no one (in the country) can ever break my records.” (More Sports News)
The 19-year-old Antim talks about her resolution to “not touch jalebis for at least a year” and why she wants to emulate her idol, the two-time Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar, in the latest episode of the ‘Fit India Champions Podcast’ released on Saturday (March 23, 2024).
“I have never met Sushil pehelwan but I was blown away when I heard about 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’s,” Antim told podcast host Ekta Vishnoi.
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Antim, who has qualified for the Paris Olympic Games 2024 in the women’s 53 kg category, said that choosing wrestling as a career was the best decision she made in life. Coming from a family lineage in sports - elder sister (Sarita) and father Ram Niwas were kabaddi players - Antim decided to take up wrestling because “it’s an individual sport and selection in any national squad depended only on hard work and nothing else. I saw how sad my sister would be when she was not selected.”
Antim’s career as a wrestler started at the local dangals (wrestling competition) usually held at akhadas (schools) with mud pits. “I was playing and winning a lot in the dangals and when I switched to mats at the cadet level, I was never scared. In 2019, I learned that one can play in the 2024 Olympics only if I do a lot of hard work with complete dedication and discipline,” said Antim, adding that she trains about eight hours every day under her coach Bhagat Singh.
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“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 takes care of every detail in my preparation. I don’t have to look beyond my coach for extra motivation because we are steadfast in our goals and objectives,” said the United World Wrestling Rising Star of the Year 2023.
Although she has a long way to go if she has to catch up with Vinesh Phogat, the first Indian woman wrestler to win gold medals at the Commonwealth and Asian Games and a multiple world championships medallist, Antim is determined that she will set a few records that will be “hard to beat.”
“Winning an Olympic medal is my dream. It’s a family project and if I can do that I would have reciprocated the sacrifices my parents and sisters made for me,” said Antim, whose father moved from their village to Hissar town and bought a buffalo to ensure his daughter was never short on fresh milk.
“Doodh (milk) and ghee became my staples because of my parents’ insistence. Now I am used to them and supplement my meals with fruits, nuts and dalia, roti and sabji (vegetables). I love lassi,” Antim added.
The teenager has a sweet tooth, too. “I love jalebis but on my last birthday, I promised my coach that I will not have even one till my next one on August 31, 2024. It’s a resolution because I have a goal to meet and I am quite determined,” said Antim.
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The wrestling competition at Paris 2024 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, not just jalebis, she will have a whole lot more to rejoice with.
A flagship programme of the ministry of youth affairs and sports, the Fit India Mission is an endeavour to spread the virtues of physical and mental wellness. The ‘Fit India Champions’ podcast series is aimed at spreading the good words through conversations with athletes and health influencers who are acting as catalysts for change.
