Asian Wrestling Championships 2025: Perfect chance for Antim, Deepak to start afresh
After a forgettable 2024 season, the senior Asian Championships, beginning Tuesday in Amman in Jordan, will provide an opportunity to Antim Panghal and Deepak Punia to make a fresh beginning while other Indian wrestlers will have a chance to carve out their own identity at the international level.
Embroiled in bitter selection trials between 2022-23, young Antim lost track when it mattered the most as she made a heartbreaking exit from the Paris Olympics. Not that she was a medal favourite but a strong showing was expected, given the talent she possesses. However, the two-time U-20 world champion ended up being a pale shadow of herself in the 53kg.
Indian squads:
Men’s freestyle: Chirag (57kg), Udit (61kg), Sujit Kalkal (65kg), Vishal Kaliraman (70g), Jaideep (74kg), Chandermohan (79kg), Mukul Dahya (86kg), Deepak Punia (92kg), Jointy Kumar (97kg) and Dinesh (125kg).
Women’s: Ankush (50kg), Antim Panghal (53kg), Nishu (55kg), Neha Sharma (57kg), Muskan (59kg), Manisha Bhanwala (62kg), Monika (65kg), Mansi Lathar (68kg), Jyoti Berwal (72kg) and Reetika Hooda (76kg).
Greco Roman: Nitin (55kg), Sumit (60kg), Umesh (63kg), Neeraj (67kg), Kuldeep (72kg), Sagar (77kg), Rahul (82kg), Sunil (87kg), Nitesh (97kg) and Prem (130kg).
Much would be expected from the U-23 world champion Reetika Hooda (76kg) and U-17 world champion Mansi Lather, who came through the 68kg selection trials, and Manisha Bhanwala (62kg).
The 2019 World Championships silver medallist Deepak Punia has been struggling for form of late. Someone who excelled at the junior level but could not repeat the success at the senior level, Deepak would aim to shrug off the past disappointments.
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He will present his challenge in the 92kg category and not in his usual 86kg weight class.
A sure-shot medal would have been Paris Games bronze medallist Aman Sehrawat but since he is still in rehabilitation, the U-23 world champion Chirag will present India’s challenge in 57kg category that often produces fast-paced bouts. Udit (61kg) and world U20 medallist Sujeet Kalkal (65kg) are the other promising prospects in the Indian squad.
In the last few years India’s Greco Roman wrestlers have improved a lot. In the absence of national camp and competitions, not much can be predicted but it won’t be a surprise if one or two end up with surprise performances.