Antim goes for the jugular on the counter | Asian-games News

In the semi-finals of her first international senior event, Antim Panghal faced off against Aktenge Keunimjaeva at the Asian Championships. In the match, there was a point in the first round where Keunimjaeva has a hold on Antim’s neck and her arm and it seems like the Uzbekan wrestler is in control of the situation. Suddenly both their profiles rise and Antim’s eyes lock onto Keunimjaeva’s leg and she lunges for it. Keunimjaeva goes from a position of strength to suddenly finding the two-time U20 World Champion gaining control of her back for a takedown.
While Bajrang Punia might be famed for his legendary endurance and those late bursts of points, Antim Panghal, in her first senior World Championships appearance, wants to show what she showed in that match against Keunimjaeva – that she has the ability to turn any position of attack for her opponent, into a position of strength.
“Ab koi puri bout khade khade toh nikaal nahi sakta. Kabhi toh vaar karna hoga,” said Antim to the Indian Express before leaving for the Worlds. (No one can just stand and vile time away in a bout. At some point you have to attack me.)

That philosophy of wanting to counter from any situation is something that Antim has wanted to showcase. Usually, you see spurts of speed and power in her takedowns, especially in the first round where she likes to go on the attack. But test her further and you find a wrestler who’s willing to go wherever the bout has to and earn her points from whatever positions that she finds herself in.Most Read
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“There is no such thing as an unfamiliar position for her. Whatever the position on the mat, she can work from there,” says her coach Bhagat Singh. One of the ways he ensures that she’s ready for this is to simply throw the kitchen sink at her. During training, Antim gets multiple sparring partners who target specific areas of her body. Each wrestler is fresher than her and each time she has to find a way to convert an attack on her into a takedown.

Her favourite way to counter though is the one she showed against Keunimjaeva. “I like to grab onto my opponent’s neck and quickly move behind their body to get two quick points. That is also a form of counter because usually I can only reach the neck when an opponent’s attack has failed to grab me. It isn’t like I’m just waiting for the opportunity to counter my opponent. That situation is a matter of position and can also depend on the score and time of the bout,” says Antim.
At these World Championships, her first bout is set to be against Dominique Parrish – the defending World Champion in the 53kg category. Antim has already teched her in the past 11-0 at a ranking series but facing a tough opponent at the beginning of the World Championships is a task in itself – especially when that opponent knows how good you are.