March 29, 2025: India’s wrestlers made the nation proud at the Asian Wrestling Championships 2025 in Amman, Jordan, as Manisha Bhanwala and Antim Panghal delivered remarkable performances, securing gold and bronze medals in their respective categories.
Manisha Bhanwala clinched her first-ever gold medal at the continental meet, defeating Ok J Kim of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea 8-7 in a thrilling final. This victory marked India’s first women’s freestyle wrestling gold medal at the Asian Championships since 2021, following the triumphs of Vinesh Phogat and Sarita Mor. Manisha’s journey to the final was an impressive one, starting with a dominant win over Kazakhstan’s Tynys Dubek via technical superiority. She then pinned down Hanbit Lee of the Republic of Korea in the quarterfinals and went on to defeat Kyrgyzstan’s defending champion, Kalmira Bilimbek Kyzy, by a 5-1 scoreline.
Although trailing 2-7 against Ok J Kim in the final, Manisha made an incredible comeback, turning the match around and clinching gold in the final moments. This victory broke her streak of three consecutive bronze medals from 2022 to 2024, showcasing her resilience and determination to achieve the top spot.
Meanwhile, Antim Panghal, who made her return to international competition after the Paris 2024 Olympics, secured a bronze medal in the 53kg division. Antim began her campaign on a high note with a 10-6 victory over World Championships silver medalist Jin Zhang from China. However, she faced a setback in the semi-finals, losing to Japan’s 55kg world champion Moe Kiyooka via technical superiority. Antim bounced back in the bronze medal match, defeating Chinese Taipei’s Meng Hsuan Hsieh with a commanding technical superiority win to seal her place on the podium.
The two medals earned by Manisha and Antim on Friday pushed India’s medal tally to seven at the championships, including one gold, one silver, and five bronze. On Thursday, reigning U23 world champion Reetika Hooda also earned a silver medal in the women’s freestyle 76kg division. Muskan (59kg), Mansi Lather (68kg), and Greco-Roman wrestlers Nitesh (97kg) and Sunil Kumar (87kg) had previously won bronze medals in the competition.
The remaining three Indian wrestlers in action on Friday—Neha Sharma (57kg), Monika (65kg), and Jyoti Berwal (72kg)—did not secure any medals. However, the focus will now shift to the Indian men’s freestyle wrestlers, including Tokyo 2020 Olympian Deepak Punia, who will compete in the upcoming days of the continental meet.
With a strong showing at the Asian Wrestling Championships, India’s wrestlers continue to make their mark on the global stage, and the nation’s hopes are high for more podium finishes in the days to come.