Antim Panghal crashes out of Paris Olympics 2024 following a heavy 0-10 defeat against Turkey's Zeynep Yetgil in the women's 53kg freestyle wrestling
In yet another disappointing turn of events at the Paris Olympics 2024, India's Antim Panghal suffered a defeat in the Round of 16 of the women's 53kg freestyle wrestling. Facing Turkey's Zeynep Yetgil on Wednesday, Panghal lost 0-10. Yetgil advanced to the quarter-finals on technical superiority, i.e., without any points scored by the opponent.
Right from the onset, Yetgil's aggressive approach put Panghal under immense pressure. Within the first minute, the Turkish wrestler secured two sets of two points and took the lead. Yetgil's mastery was evident as she executed a brilliant four-point rollover move, swiftly followed by two more points. The sequence effectively sealed Antim Panghal's fate, ending the bout in just 100 seconds.
Zeynep Yetgil's relentless attacks left Amit Panghal with no room to recover, culminating in a decisive win by technical superiority. This unexpected defeat marks a significant setback for Antim, who had hoped to advance further after winning bronze at the Hangzhou Asian Games.
Now, Antim Panghal's only chance for redemption lies in the repechage round, contingent on Yetgil reaching the final.
Antim Panghal's exit follows Vinesh Phogat's heartbreaking disqualification from the Paris Olympics 2024
India’s gold medal hopes at the Paris Olympics 2024 were dashed when Vinesh Phogat, the first Indian woman wrestler to reach an Olympic final, was disqualified from the women's 50kg wrestling final.
Phogat, 29, was reportedly 100 grams over the weight limit during the final weigh-in on the second day. Despite her team's best efforts on Tuesday night, she couldn't meet the required weight on Wednesday morning.
Due to the disqualification, Phogat is not eligible for a silver medal either. While she met the weight requirements for Tuesday’s matches, competition rules stipulate that wrestlers must remain within their weight class on both competition days.
In Olympic wrestling, adherence to weight classes is crucial for fair competition. Weigh-ins typically occur the morning of the competition, and wrestlers must meet their category's weight criteria. If they exceed the limit, disqualification is immediate, and no second weigh-in is permitted.
Unfortunately for Vinesh Phogat, the rule led to disqualification, ending her quest for an Olympic medal.