Antim Panghal Creates History: Second Bronze at World Wrestling Championships, Disappointment for Indian Greco-Roman Wrestlers

Indian women’s wrestling star Antim Panghal once again proved her mettle on the global stage. At the World Wrestling Championships 2025, she clinched a bronze medal in the women’s 53kg category, defeating Sweden’s U-23 World Champion Emma Jonna Dennis Malmgren in dominant fashion. With this victory, Antim not only lifted India’s pride but also established herself as one of the strongest forces in women’s wrestling.

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A Dominant Victory Over Emma Malmgren

Antim Panghal showed complete authority in her bronze medal bout, defeating Emma Malmgren 9-1. From the very beginning, Antim adopted an aggressive approach, showcasing her superior technique, agility, and power.

The 9-1 scoreline reflected her technical brilliance.
This medal turned out to be India’s first and only medal in the tournament.

Her victory brought immense joy to Indian fans, especially after a relatively quiet campaign for the wrestling contingent.

Bouncing Back Strong After Olympic Heartbreak

Antim’s journey hasn’t been without setbacks. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, she suffered a shocking first-round exit that left fans disappointed. Many doubted how a young wrestler would recover from such a blow.

But Antim proved her critics wrong. Just a year later, she stormed back into form, securing bronze at the World Championships 2025.

Her comeback is a testament to her mental toughness and determination.
The medal highlights her unwavering focus and resilience under pressure.

This performance has now firmly established Antim as a future star of Indian wrestling.

Back-to-Back Medals at the World Championships

This is not Antim Panghal’s first taste of success at the global level. She had earlier won a bronze at the 2023 World Championships.

Now, by winning another bronze in 2025, she has become one of the very few Indian wrestlers to win consecutive medals at the World Championships.

With this achievement, Antim has become the second Indian woman wrestler to win more than one World Championship medal.
The first to do so was none other than Vinesh Phogat.

Indian Women Wrestlers and Their World Championship Medals

Indian women have consistently made their presence felt at the World Wrestling Championships. However, most have only one medal to their name.

Vinesh Phogat – multiple medals
Antim Panghal – two bronze medals (2023, 2025)
Alka Tomar, Geeta Phogat, Babita Phogat, Pooja Dhanda, Sarita Mor, Anshu Malik – one medal each

This puts Antim in an elite club, and at such a young age, her career promises even more glory for India.

Disappointment for Greco-Roman Wrestlers

While Antim Panghal brought joy to India, the country’s Greco-Roman wrestlers had a forgettable outing at the championships.

All four wrestlers who competed on Thursday failed to win even a single bout.
None of them could score points, which underlined the poor performance.

This contrasting performance was disheartening for fans who had high hopes from the Greco-Roman category.

Anil Mor’s Shocking 13-Second Defeat

The most shocking moment came in the 55kg Greco-Roman category, where India’s Anil Mor was dismantled in just 13 seconds.

He faced World No.1 Eldaniz Azizli of Azerbaijan.
Azizli trapped Anil in a headlock and executed multiple flips, securing a quick victory by technical superiority.
Since Azizli later lost in the semifinals, Anil did not even get a chance at the repechage round.

Aman’s Exit in Repechage

In the 77kg category, India’s Aman lost to Japan’s Nao Kusaka by technical superiority. Kusaka reached the finals, which gave Aman a second chance through repechage.

However, Aman failed again, losing to Ukraine’s Ihor Bychkov.
This ended India’s hopes in the Greco-Roman section of the tournament.

Why Are Indian Greco-Roman Wrestlers Struggling?

The poor performance of India’s Greco-Roman wrestlers has raised serious concerns.

Technical Gaps – European wrestlers dominate in Greco-Roman because of advanced techniques and strategies, where Indians fall short.
Lack of Experience – Competing against world-class opponents, Indian wrestlers often fail to handle the pressure.
Preparation and Training – Modern wrestling requires scientific training, better exposure, and tactical innovation, which is still lacking in India’s Greco-Roman setup.

Unless addressed, these factors will continue to hurt India’s medal chances in future tournaments.

Antim Panghal: Symbol of Grit and Inspiration

Antim Panghal’s story is one of grit, perseverance, and inspiration. Her ability to rise after setbacks makes her a role model for upcoming wrestlers.

She has shown that failure is not the end, but a stepping stone to greater success.
For young athletes, she is already a symbol of resilience and determination.

Her victories highlight the importance of mental strength in sports, alongside physical ability.

Future Tournaments and Expectations

With back-to-back World Championship medals, Antim Panghal has set high expectations.

She will be one of India’s strongest medal prospects in the Asian Championships, Commonwealth Games, and upcoming Olympics.
For Greco-Roman wrestling, however, the Wrestling Federation of India must rethink strategies and training systems to bridge the gap with world leaders.

Conclusion

Antim Panghal’s second bronze medal at the World Wrestling Championships is a historic achievement for Indian wrestling. She has proven that setbacks like the Olympic defeat cannot define an athlete’s career. Instead, they can fuel a greater comeback.

On the other hand, the dismal show by Greco-Roman wrestlers is a wake-up call. Unless there are major reforms in training and exposure, India will continue to lag in this category.

For now, the spotlight shines brightly on Antim Panghal – a rising star who has shown the world that Indian women wrestlers never give up.