By Admin 
Having bounced back in 2025 by winning her second consecutive bronze medal in the World championships in Zagreb, Croatia, wrestler Antim Panghal (53kg) has managed to leave behind her forgettable outing in the Paris Olympics last year and make a new start.
With a busy calendar awaiting her in 2026, the 21-year-old, a former two-time World under-20 champion and an Asian Games bronze medallist, is keen to raise her game and improve the colour of her medals in the future. She is also keen to carry on her good work and realise her potential by medalling in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Antim spoke to The Hindu about her rare Worlds medal and the upcoming challenges.
Excerpts:
How was the time after the Paris Olympics (which was not a good outing for you)? How did you recover and make a comeback?
After the Olympics, I had a knee injury. My physiotherapist got it treated for a month and a half. After that, he got me on the mat. He said, first you have to get the injury treated. After getting it treated, I got a full rehab done. Everyone supported me a lot.
Tell us about your coaching staff now?
After Paris, my coaching set-up has evolved. I now train primarily with the coaches at Sports Authority of India (SAI) Hisar. When I am called for national training camps, my programme continues without interruption — the national coaches cooperate closely and ensure alignment.
Of course, it can be challenging at times because every coach has their own style and area of expertise. But we maintain regular communication between the SAI coaches and the national camp staff, which really helps in keeping my training consistent and effective.
We saw your performance in the World championships. How do you rate it because you had already won a bronze medal earlier?
2024 didn’t go so well for me. After that, I wanted to win a medal in the World championships. I prepared a lot, trained a lot.
Everyone supported me. My parents, my siblings, JSW and my manager supported me a lot.
Which was the most difficult medal in the two World championships?
It was difficult to medal in both World championships. It was not easy. I had to work hard in both. When I fought for the first time (in 2023), I didn’t have a medal in the World championships. I had not even competed in the Worlds before that. This time, I had a little experience.
Vinesh won two bronze medals in the World championships. And now you, too, have two. You are the only two Indian women to do so. How do you feel about it?
Vinesh was a very good wrestler. She struggled a lot. She has two medals. I also have two medals. If I train a lot, I will get more medals.
The National championship is happening in Ahmedabad in December. It is generally seen that well known wrestlers don’t compete in the National championships. What is the reason for that? Are you taking part this year?
Yes, I am competing. There is nothing like well-known wrestlers skipping the event. Senior nationals is the biggest event in India. Sometimes, someone gets injured after the competition. So, they can’t take part.
What is your target for next year? There will be World championships, Asian Games and Asian Championships. How are you planning for these?
My focus is on the Asian Games. I want to give my 100 per cent in that. There is also a World championship before that. I have to prepare well for that. There will be a lot of competitions. There are three major competitions. People who support me make plans for me. They tell me what I have to do. I do everything according to that.
Los Angeles 2028 is two and a half years away. What are your plans for that?
I am preparing for everything, including the Olympics. For every wrestler, the main competition is the Olympics. We don’t get that many medals in the Olympics. We get one or two medals in wrestling. So, I want to get more medals.
How much body weight do you maintain? Are you planning to change your body weight?
No, my weight is fine. Everyone stays two-three kg higher than their weight category. So, my weight is fine (for my 53kg category).
How has JSW’s support helped?
They gave me a job, a manager. They take care of everything. JSW conducts camps and they are beneficial. I attended an international training camp at Shigakkan University in Japan, organised jointly by JSW and the Wrestling Federation of India. We also travelled to a few other universities to train with different groups of wrestlers. It was a great experience — I got to train with some of the top Japanese wrestlers and the environment was very supportive. I even reviewed my semifinal bout with their coaches, who helped me understand new technical details and the areas where I needed to improve. Overall, the camp was a major learning experience for me, especially with the focus on preparing for the 2026 season including the Asian Games.
The PWL will be relaunched sooner than later. How big an opportunity is that?
All the top wrestlers in India will take part. Some will come from abroad. It is a good chance to fight with everyone at the start of the year. It will be a good competition for everyone.
When you will be in a team with foreign wrestlers, how will it help your game and overall personality?
When I went out for training, I got to know how the wrestlers over there train before a bout. If I will be in a PWL team, I will get to know more about different wrestlers in my team. I will get to know the way they eat and prepare. It will be very beneficial for me.
In which areas of your game do you need to improve?
I will have to focus on my mat work, conditioning. I will have to see who is doing what, where I am lacking. My coaches tell me where I have to attack, where I have to defend. We watch videos of the bouts to understand where to attack and where to defend.
Women’s wrestling has become very competitive in our country. How good is it for India?
If there is a lot of competition here, everyone gives her best and prepares well. It helps in fighting well abroad and winning medals.