Antim Panghal wins a Bronze and book a seat to the Paris Olympics

19 year old wrestler from Haryana, Antim Panghal, won a bronze medal in the 53 kg event at the World Wrestling Championships 2023 in Belgrade, Serbia on 21 st September 2023.  This was the first medal for India in World Wrestling Championships 2023. In the bronze medal match between the two losing semifinalists, Panghal defeated Sweden’s two-time European champion Emma Jonna Denise Malmgren.

Antim Panghal also became the first Indian wrestler to qualify for the 33rd Summer Olympics to be held in Paris, France, in 2024. 

Antim Panghal is the only Indian player to win two gold medals at the U20 World Wrestling Championship. She recently won her second gold medal at the World Under-20 Wrestling Championships held in Amman, Jordan, in August 2023.

The World Wrestling Championships 2023 is being held in Belgrade from 16-24 September 2023. The event is being organised by the United World Wrestling(UWW). 

The Indian team is participating in the event under the United World Wrestling flag as the Wrestling Federation of India has been suspended by the United World Wrestling .

Indian Participation in World Wrestling Championships 

Before the Belgrade event, India had won a total of 23 medals at the World Wrestling Championships. These include one gold, five silver and 17 bronze. Twelve of these medals have come since 2018. Of the 23 medals won by India, nine were won by the  women wrestlers..

• The first World Wrestling Championships were held in 1904 in Vienna, Austria.
• The first Indian to win a medal at the World Wrestling Championships was Udey Chand. He bagged a bronze at the 1961 World Championships held in Yokohama, Japan.
• First woman wrestler to win a medal for India was Alka Tomar, She won a bronze at the 2006 event in Guangzhou, China.
• First Gold for India was won by Sushil Kumar. He won gold at the 2010 World Championships in Moscow, Russia.
• Bajrang Punia has won the maximum medal for India. He has won 4 medals in the championship. He has won three bronzes and one silver medal.

United World Wrestling (UWW)

The United World Wrestling (UWW) is an international body that governs amateur wrestling in the world . 

It was earlier known as the FILA ( Fédération Internationale des Luttes Associées) or International Federation of Amateur Wrestling .

Headquarters : Corsier-sur-Vevey,Switzerland

President : Nenad Lalović