Wrestler Antim Panghal hungry for Asian Games gold: No jalebi till LA 2028
For the last three years, Antim Panghal has stayed away from jalebi, her favourite sweet. The 22-year-old wrestler has made a promise to herself that she will finally have one after the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The wait is part of a larger sacrifice for a wrestler whose immediate focus is the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, but whose biggest ambition is to win an Olympic medal in Los Angeles.
“I have not had it for three years now. I will eat it in 2028 (after LA28). I really want to eat it. But I will not eat it now. Whenever I go home, my mother prepares Kadhi and Churma for me,” Antim told Times Now in an interview.
Before she can think about Los Angeles, Antim has an important target in Japan. She will compete in the 53kg category at the Asian Games, hoping to improve on the bronze medal she won in Hangzhou in 2023.
“I will give my 100 per cent. Last time, I was a junior. But this time, I have to compete as a senior,” she said.
Her Asian Games campaign will also be an important part of a much bigger Olympic plan. The World Championships in October will be one of Antim's biggest tests before the Olympic qualification cycle begins in February 2027.
“I have to qualify for the Olympics next year. I have to give my best in the World Championships,” she said.ANTIM'S ASIAN GAMES TARGET
Antim secured her place in India's Asian Games squad after beating Meenakshi Goyat in the 53kg selection bout in New Delhi. Meenakshi had earlier stunned Vinesh Phogat in the semi-final before Antim stopped her from completing the upset run.
The field in Japan will be tough, with Antim expecting the biggest challenges to come from the traditional Asian wrestling powerhouses.
“We will do our best. But most of the challenges will come from Japan, China and North Korea,” she said.
Antim also spent time training at Nippon University in Japan last year, an experience that could help her settle into the conditions when she returns for the Asian Games.ANTIM PANGHAL'S RISE IN INDIAN WRESTLING
Antim took up wrestling in 2017 after being encouraged by her elder sister, a kabaddi player, in Bhagana village in Haryana's Hisar district. She was competing in local dangals as a child and quickly emerged as one of India's brightest young wrestling talents. In 2022 and 2023, she became the first Indian woman wrestler to win back-to-back U20 World Championships titles.
She has since won senior World Championships bronze medals in 2023 and 2025, while adding the Asian Games bronze in Hangzhou. Her rise has been backed by a family that made plenty of sacrifices of its own. Her father, Ram Niwas Panghal, once rented a house in Hisar so Antim could travel around 20 kilometres each way to training.
“She wakes up at 4 am. She practices twice a day, and she has never once complained,” he had told India Today in an earlier interview.
Now, Antim is preparing for another Asian Games with an even bigger target beyond it. She has been spending extra time on the mat at the national camp in New Delhi, working on her attacks and counters. Japanese coach Kosei Akaishi, a two-time Olympic medallist, has also been helping her improve her attacking game.
Chief women's wrestling coach Virender Dahiya believes Antim has the potential to win gold in Japan and eventually become an Olympic champion. For Antim, the roadmap is clear: challenge for Asian Games gold, qualify for the Olympics and then chase a medal in Los Angeles.
The jalebi can wait. It has already been for three years.- EndsPublished By: Kingshuk KusariPublished On: Sep 15, 2026 10:28 IST
