World Wrestling Championships 2025: Antim Panghal wins bronze, becomes second Indian woman with two medals

India’s Antim Panghal capped off the freestyle wrestling campaign with a bronze medal in the women’s 53kg category at the 2025 World Wrestling Championships in Croatia on Thursday.

The 21-year-old produced a commanding performance to outclass Sweden’s Emma Malmgren 9-1 in the bronze medal bout.

With this result, Antim etched her name further into Indian wrestling history by becoming only the second Indian woman after Vinesh Phogat to claim two World Championship medals.

She had earlier won bronze in 2023. The latest podium finish was also India’s lone medal in freestyle wrestling at this edition, ensuring the country’s medal streak at the Worlds continues unbroken since 2018.

The bout itself was one-sided, with Antim executing sharp counterattacks and showcasing strong defensive control. After going into the break with a 3-0 lead, she extended her dominance in the second half, converting two more takedowns to seal the match 7-0.

Her bronze also brought relief to the Indian camp, which endured a disappointing campaign with early exits for other wrestlers. Manisha Bhanwala fell in repechage against Bulgaria’s Bilyana Dudova, while in Greco-Roman, Sonu, Aman, and Rahul all bowed out in their opening contests.

Despite the setbacks, Antim’s medal salvaged India’s pride on the world stage, particularly as the championships mark a crucial build-up towards next year’s Olympic cycle.

The focus now shifts to the Greco-Roman events, which commenced on Thursday afternoon. India, however, faced a tough start, with all three wrestlers exiting early against higher-ranked opponents.