U20 Wrestling World Championships: A league of their own

Amman (Jordan), August 17

Priya became only the second Indian woman wrestler to win a junior world title while fast-rising Antim Panghal also stormed into the title clash as unprecedented success followed India at the U20 World Championships here today.

Unperturbed by the cut suffered above her left eye, Priya easily got the better of Germany’s Laura Celive Kuehn 5-0 in the 76kg gold medal bout, which had to be stopped twice due to bleeding caused by the cut. Her lightning fast leg attacks rattled the German.

Antim had last year become India’s first junior women’s world champion. The defending champion, who recently hit the headlines for challenging Vinesh Phogat for the Asian Games trials but lost her petition, put up a dominating show to win her three bouts with consummate ease.

For the first time, four Indian women wrestlers have reached the gold medal bouts at the U20 World Championships as Savita (62kg) and Antim Kundu (65kg) also stayed unbeaten today. Meanwhile, Harshita will fight for bronze in the 72kg after losing her semifinal.

Antim Panghal lost just two points en route the final, annihilating her first round opponent from Poland, Nikola Monika Wisniewska, in mere 68 seconds. She followed that up with a technical superiority win over China’s Xuejing Liang. In the semifinals, the wrestler from Hisar outplayed Russia’s Polina Lukina, again winning by technical superiority while not conceding a single point. If the 19-year-old can win tomorrow, she will become the first woman wrestler to win two world titles.

Antim Kundu also blew away her competition. The Rohtak wrestler overpowered Russia’s Ekaterina Koshkina in the semifinal, winning 7-5. Before that, the 18-year-old beat Romania’s Maria Magdalena Pantiru 7-2 and pinned Poland’s Alicja Nowosad.

U17 world champion Savita was also in unstoppable form as she won all three bouts ‘by fall’. The 17-year-old defeated Serbia’s Dunja Lukic, Japan’s Suzu Sasaki and France’s Iris Mathilde Thiebaux to reach the final.

Harshita reached the 72kg semifinals but got pinned by Turkey’s Bukrenaz Sert. Reena was the only Indian wrestler in action who lost early. Competing in the 57kg category, she lost her opening bout to Ukraine’s Alina Filipovych. Reena will get a chance in repechage as Alina reached the final.