Indian Wrestlers Shine at Asian Championships with Gold and Bronze Medals

India's Success at the Asian Wrestling Championships 2025

Amman [Jordan], March 29: Indian wrestlers Manisha Bhanwala (62 kg) and Antim Panghal (53 kg) achieved remarkable success at the Asian Wrestling Championships 2025 held in Amman, Jordan, securing gold and bronze medals, respectively, as reported by Olympics.com.

In a thrilling final, Manisha Bhanwala triumphed over Ok J Kim from North Korea with a score of 8-7, marking India's first gold in women's freestyle wrestling at this continental event since 2021.

Previously, Vinesh Phogat and Sarita Mor had clinched victories in their categories during the 2021 championships. Manisha's journey began with a decisive win against Kazakhstan's Tynys Dubek, showcasing her technical prowess.

She continued her impressive performance by defeating Hanbit Lee from South Korea in the quarterfinals and then overcoming Kyrgyzstan's defending champion Kalmira Bilimbek Kyzy with a score of 5-1.

Despite trailing 2-7 against Ok J Kim, Manisha made a stunning comeback to secure the gold medal, demonstrating her resilience and skill.

On the other hand, Antim Panghal made a strong return to international wrestling after the Paris 2024 Olympics, earning a bronze in the 53kg category.

Antim began her competition with a 10-6 victory over Jin Zhang, a silver medalist at the World Championships from China, but faced a setback against Japan's 55kg world champion Moe Kiyooka in the semifinals.

She bounced back to defeat Meng Hsuan Hsieh from Chinese Taipei, securing her bronze medal through technical superiority.

With these two medals, India's total medal count at the championships has reached seven, including one gold, one silver, and five bronze medals.

Reetika Hooda, the reigning U23 world champion, also contributed to the tally with a silver in the women's freestyle 76kg division on Thursday.

Earlier in the competition, Muskan (women's 59kg), Mansi Lather (women's 68kg), and Greco-Roman wrestlers Nitesh (97kg) and Sunil Kumar (87kg) secured bronze medals.

Unfortunately, the remaining Indian wrestlers—Neha Sharma (57kg), Monika (65kg), and Jyoti Berwal (72kg)—did not win medals on this day.

In the upcoming days, Indian men's freestyle wrestlers, including Tokyo 2020 Olympian Deepak Punia, are set to compete in the continental meet.