Vinesh Phogat, the poster girl of Indian wrestling, is competing. Antim Panghal, 19, India’s first under-20 world wrestling champion, wants to set the bar so high that “no one (in India) can beat my record” . Vinesh and Antim are both from Haryana, but that’s all they have in common. In a new episode of the Fitness India Champions Podcast released on Saturday, Antim talks about her determination not to touch jalebis for at least a year and why she wants to emulate her idol, a two-time Olympic medalist By Sushil Kumar.
“I have never met Sushil Pehwan but when I heard about his work ethic and how hard he worked to win an Olympic medal, I was shocked. I would really like to be like him if he were The gold standard in men’s wrestling, I hope people “can say Antim is the ultimate in women’s clothing,” one 19-year-old candidly told podcast host Ekta Vishnoi.
The ‘Fit India Champions’ podcast series aims to spread the message of fitness through conversations with athletes and fitness influencers. The 10-episode series is in partnership with GOQii, a key stakeholder in the fitness industry that proactively manages health through digital and multimedia technologies.
Antim, who has qualified for the women’s 53kg category at the 2024 Paris Olympics, revealed that choosing wrestling as a career was the best decision she has ever made in her life. Coming from a family where her sister (Sarita) and father Ram Niwas are both kabaddi players, Antim decided to take up wrestling because “it is an individual sport and selection for any national team is It just comes down to hard work and nothing else. I see how sad my kids are” when my sister doesn’t get picked. “
Antim’s career as a wrestler began at local dangals (wrestling tournaments), usually held in akhadas (schools) with mud pits. “I fought and won a lot of matches in wrestling and I was never afraid when I moved to the mats at the cadet level. In 2019, I learned that I could only make it to the 2024 Olympics if I put in a lot of hard work .Complete dedication and discipline,” Antim said, adding that she trains under coach Bhagat Singh for about eight hours a day.
“My parents and sisters continue to support me and Bhagat Singh is my mentor who not only keeps me on my toes but also takes care of every detail of my preparation. I don’t need to look beyond my coaches to get extra motivation because we are unwavering in our goals and objectives,” said the 2023 United World Wrestling Rising Star of the Year.
While she still has a lot of work to do to catch up to the first Indian woman wrestler to win gold medals at the Commonwealth and Asian Games and multiple world championship medalist Vinesh Phogat, Antim Panghal, who is 10 years younger than Vinesh, is determined to set some “hard-to-break” records.
“Winning an Olympic medal is my dream. It’s a family project and if I can do it, I will repay the sacrifices my parents and sisters have made for me,” said Antim, whose father moved from the village Traveled to Hisar town and bought a buffalo to ensure that my daughter would never be short of fresh milk!
“Doodh (milk) and ghee became my staple food because my parents just wouldn’t let me go. Now I am used to them and of course supplement my meals with fruits, nuts and dalia, roti and sabji (vegetables). I like lassi,” Antim said with a smile.
Antim also has a sweet tooth. “I like Jalebis, but on my last birthday I promised the coach that I will not have Jalebis again before my next birthday on August 31, 2024. This is a determination because I There was a goal to achieve and I was very determined,” Antim said.
The wrestling competition at the 2024 Paris Olympics will be held at the Champ de Mars from August 5 to 11. If Antim can win a medal in her Olympic debut and not just Jalebis, she will have the world at her feet.
(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by NDTV staff and is derived from a press release)
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