Antim Panghal in contention for United World Wrestling 2022 Rising Star of Year award
Dec 22, 2022
Corsier-sur-Vevey [Switzerland], December 22 : Antim Panghal, an Indian female wrestler, has been nominated for the honour of United World Wrestling 2022 Rising Star of the Year.
By earning India's first-ever gold medal in the World U20 Wrestling Championships 2022 in August, Antim Panghal made history this year.
In the 44 editions of the junior world meet prior to Antim, six Indian wrestlers had advanced to the finals but none had won a gold medal.
On her journey to the top of the podium, Antim Panghal pinned Japan's Ayaka Kimura, defeated junior European champion, Amory Olivia Andrich of Germany, 11-0, and blanked U20 Asian medalist Altyn Shagayeva of Kazakhstan in the 53kg final. She also defeated Nataliia Klivchutska of Ukraine, who won the bronze medal at the U20 European Championships.
Antim Panghal participated in four international competitions for various age categories this year, a release said. Her season saw 16 victories and just one defeat, which came at the 2022 U23 Asian Championships when she was defeated by Uzbek Aktenge Keunimjaeva, who had won silver at the 2018 Junior World Championships.
She earned gold medals in the U20 World Championships, U20 Asian Championships, and the senior category competition known as the Zouhaier Sghaier Ranking Series.
In addition to Antim Panghal, the five women nominated for the United World Wrestling 2022 Rising Star of the Year award include Nonoka Ozaki of Japan, Amit Elor of the United States, Emma Malmgren of Sweden, and Andreea Ana of Romania.
This year, Nonoka Ozaki, 19, won gold medals in the 62kg division at the senior world championships and the Asian championship.
In contrast, Amit Elor is the current U23 and senior world champion in the weight class of 72 kg. In the senior division, the 18-year-old is now rated No. 2 in the world.
21-year-old European champion Emma Malmgren is ranked fourth in the world in the 53 kg weight class. Meanwhile, Andreea Ana is the 55 kg senior European champion.
