Distressed Antim Panghal leaves quietly amid Olympics controversy

Paris, August 8

“Please leave me alone, I want to go back home,” said a distressed Antim Panghal as she and her team boarded an Air India flight to New Delhi on Thursday evening, concluding a controversial Olympics campaign in which she was ousted in the opening round before facing the prospect of a three-year ban for alleged indiscipline.

Having lost to Turkey’s Yetgil Zeynep in her opening bout, the Indian, who made an Olympics debut here, grabbed headlines on Wednesday after a “disciplinary breach” involving her entourage, including younger sister Nisha.

Sporting her Team India jersey, she along with four members of her team quietly did the check-in at the Terminal 2C of the Charles de Gaulle Airport here before boarding the Air India 142 flight. The estimated time of arrival in New Delhi is 9:29am on Friday.

When asked to clarify on the controversy, she refused to speak and hurried past the security check points. One of her coaches intervened: “She’s scared and won’t talk.”

Following her 0-10 loss, Panghal allegedly gave her accreditation card to her sister and sent her to the Games Village to collect her belongings. However, she was stopped by the security.

By late Wednesday evening, both Panghal and her sister found themselves at the police station within the Village.

Meanwhile, Panghal’s support team, consisting of coaches Bhagat Singh and Vikas, also became involved in a separate police matter.

They allegedly refused to pay the cab fare and behaved inappropriately with the driver before quickly retreating inside. The cab driver later reported the incident to the police. — PTI