Indian Wrestler Antim Panghal’s Entourage Faces Deportation from Paris
Indian wrestler Antim Panghal and her entourage are set to be deported from Paris after her sister, Nisha, attempted to enter the Olympic Games Village using Antim’s accreditation. Nisha was detained by police but released after questioning. Following the incident, authorities canceled Antim’s accreditation and decided to deport her entire entourage.
Antim Panghal, who suffered a 0-10 defeat to Turkey’s Yetgil Zeynep in the women’s 53 kg category, had returned to her hotel where her coaches, Bhagat Singh and Vikas, were staying. Antim sent her sister to the Games Village to collect her belongings, but Nisha was caught by security on her way out.
The situation worsened when Antim’s coaches, allegedly inebriated, refused to pay a cab fare, leading the driver to call the police. Both Antim and her sister were called to the police station to give statements.
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has responded to the disciplinary breach. “The Indian Olympic Association has decided to fly wrestler Antim and her support staff back after a disciplinary breach was brought to IOA’s notice by the French authorities,” the IOA stated.
Antim’s hopes of competing for a bronze medal via repechage were dashed when Zeynep lost to Annika Wendle of Germany in the quarterfinals. Antim, a 19-year-old debutant and junior world champion, had earlier secured an Olympic quota in a category previously held by Vinesh Phogat. Despite her achievements, she was outclassed in just 101 seconds in the first round of the competition.
The IOA is currently managing the situation, with their security officer addressing the issues at hand. The incident has created a challenging scenario for the Indian delegation at the Paris Olympics 2024.
