What Led To Antim Panghal And Her Team's Deportation From Paris?

Indian wrestler Antim Panghal encountered significant challenges at the Paris Olympics after being knocked out of the women's 53 kg wrestling event. Her troubles worsened when her sister, Nisha, used Panghal's accreditation to access the Olympic Games Village, leading to a series of unfortunate events.

What Led to Antim Panghal and Her Team's Deportation from Paris?

Following her defeat, Antim returned to her hotel, where her official coach, Bhagat Singh, and her actual coach, Vikas, were staying. She gave her accreditation to her younger sister, Nisha, to collect personal belongings from the Games Village. However, Nisha was caught by security and detained by Paris police. After being questioned, Nisha was released, but the incident resulted in the cancellation of Panghal's accreditation. Consequently, Panghal and her entourage are set to be deported back to India.

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) issued a statement on the matter: "Indian wrestler Antim Panghal and her support staff are to be flown back from the Olympics following a disciplinary breach in Paris."

Antim has now addressed rumours surrounding her sister's police station visit, clarifying that it was only for identity verification.  After the process, she was released without issue. She said, "It wasn't my day yesterday, as I lost my bout. But, since I've lost, talks are going on that my sister has been arrested by the police, or I've been arrested by the police, nothing of that sort has happened."

Additional Troubles for Antim's Team

Antim's troubles didn't end with the accreditation incident. Her support staff, Vikas and Bhagat, allegedly travelled in a cab while intoxicated and refused to pay the fare, prompting the driver to call the police. An IOA source commented, "We are fighting fire as of now. We have a bad situation at hand; our security officer is dealing with the situation."

However, she refuted the rumour about her coaches getting into a fight with a cab driver. She explained that a language barrier led to a minor argument when her coaches were delayed in collecting money from the hotel room. The situation was quickly resolved without any major conflict. 

Performance at the Olympics

Antim suffered a crushing 0-10 defeat against Turkish wrestler Yetgil Zeynep in the women's 53 kg event, being outclassed in just 101 seconds. Zeynep secured victory through "technical superiority," achieving a clear 10-point lead. 

She pinned Antim for two points, followed by another two, then executed a double flip for four points, and concluded with another two points, causing the referee to stop the bout and leaving Antim in tears.

Despite this loss, there was a glimmer of hope for Antim through the repechage round, which could only happen if Zeynep reached the final. Unfortunately, Zeynep lost to Annika Wendle of Germany in the quarterfinals, extinguishing Antim's chances of competing for a bronze medal.