Indian wrestler Antim Panghal and her entourage will be deported from Paris following the cancellation of her Paris Olympics 2024 accreditation. This decision came after Antim’s sister, Nisha, attempted to use the wrestler’s accreditation to enter the Olympic Games Village and was detained by police. Though Nisha was released after questioning, the authorities decided to deport Antim’s entire entourage and cancel her accreditation.
Antim had earlier suffered a 0-10 defeat to Turkey’s Yetgil Zeynep in the women’s 53 kg category. The 19-year-old debutant’s hopes of competing for a bronze medal via repechage were dashed when Zeynep lost to Annika Wendle of Germany in the quarterfinals. Antim, who had secured an Olympic quota earlier in the category previously owned by Vinesh Phogat, was outclassed in the first round, losing in 101 seconds.
The Turkish wrestler triumphed by “Technical Superiority,” achieving a 10-point lead. Zeynep dominated the match, scoring two points initially, then another two, followed by a double flip worth four points, and ultimately sealing the victory with another two points when the referee stopped the bout, leaving Antim in tears.
Antim becomes the third Indian wrestler to return empty-handed from the Games. Meanwhile, Nisha Dahiya’s (68kg) campaign ended on Monday, and seasoned wrestler Vinesh Phogat, who became the first Indian female wrestler to reach an Olympic final in the 50 kg category on Tuesday, was disqualified for being 100 grams over the weight limit hours ahead of her gold medal bout on Wednesday.
(With inputs from PTI)