Wrestler Antim Panghal Crowned 2023's Rising Star

Indian wrestler Antim Panghal earned the title of Rising Star of the Year among women, as declared by the United World Wrestling (UWW) on Wednesday.

Competing in the 53 kg category at just 19 years old, Panghal's remarkable season has outshone even senior standout Vinesh Phogat, who shares the same weight category, reported Olympics.com.

Panghal's season kicked off with a silver in the Asian Championships, where she defeated Japan's Akari Fujimani, an undefeated senior wrestler.

The Haryana native holds the current U20 world champion title, successfully defending it in Jordan this August. She stands out as the sole two-time junior world champion for India.

Debuting in the senior world wrestling championships in Belgrade, Serbia, in September, Panghal made an immediate impact, securing the bronze medal by defeating Sweden's two-time European champion Jonna Malmgren.

Furthermore, her achievement at this event secured the Paris 2024 Olympic quota for India in the women's 53 kg category.

During the Asian Games in Hangzhou a month later, Antim Panghal added to her impressive list of accomplishments by clinching the bronze medal, triumphing over Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist Bat-Ochir Bolortuya of Mongolia in the medal match.

In other categories, Greece's Georgios Kougioumtsidis and Azerbaijan's Hasrat Jafarov were recognised as the Rising Stars of the Year in men's freestyle and Greco-Roman, respectively.