Susaki on loop, strategy on mind: Panghal gears up for PWL

Yui Susaki’s matches are playing on Antim Panghal’s phone almost every day. That homework has become central to Antim’s preparation for the upcoming Pro Wrestling League (PWL), where a face-off with two-time Olympic medallist Susaki is on the cards. The Japanese, widely regarded as the most dominant wrestler in the world, does not intimidate the young Indian — she intrigues her.

Antim speaks of Susaki with respect, but without awe. “She is the best wrestler in the world. She has more experience than me but she is from 50kg and I am from 53kg, plus I am younger. So I am watching her bouts closely — how she attacks, how she defends, what kind of mistakes she doesn’t make,” Antim told PTI in an interview.

Four-time world champion Susaki attracted a `60 lakh bid from Haryana Thunder in the women’s 53kg category, making her the costliest buy at the recent PWL auction. Bought for `52 lakh by UP Dominators, the 21-year-old Indian wrestler knows that it won’t be easy to win against a near-unbeaten opponent.

“Her defence is very solid. She doesn’t give legs (points) easily. She mostly attacks and waits. So I have to defend well and attack more. I have to ensure that she does not get opportunity to attack me much.” Susaki’s aura has been punctured only once at the senior level — by Vinesh Phogat during the 2024 Paris Games — and Antim has studied that bout frame by frame.

“That was a great bout. I am learning from that, how Vinesh defended and how she made that last attack.” Yet Antim is aware that the PWL format changes the equation. With double points in the final one-minute round, passive wrestling can be costly. “You can’t stay still for too long in this league. If you are on two or four points, the opponent needs only one move. So the strategy has to be different.”

Never thought I will attract such a bid: The 21-year-old Indian wrestler admits the final figure was far beyond what she had imagined. UP dominators is owned by Rubics Group. “I didn’t expect that much. I thought it could be around `30 lakh. I felt it might go a little above that, but not this much,” Antim said with a smile.

As the bidding unfolded, Antim was travelling back home from a temple. “The bidding started around seven. I had just come back home from Khatu Shyam temple. No one thought it will be that high a bid for me.” Her elder sister, Sarita, however, had a different feeling.  “She kept saying it will be more and when I touched `50 lakh, I was silently prayed that I get one more and grabbed by UP,” she said revealing that she actually preferred to play UP Dominators, despite being from Hisar and having represented Haryana throughout her career.

“We always play for Haryana. That’s exactly why I wanted to go to UP this time. I don’t know why, but from the beginning I felt I should go there.” Vinesh will make a strong comeback: Vinesh recently announced her comeback from retirement and Antim speaks with empathy rather than rivalry when the topic turns to the senior wrestler.

Vinesh, one of the most accomplished Indian wrestlers, endured a heartbreaking exit from the Paris Games where she was disqualified from the 50kg final for being overweight by 100g. “Vinesh has much more experience than me. If she is coming back, it means she is ready to work very hard. When a player comes back with that mindset, the comeback is always strong.”

Antim resists the idea of staking sole claim over the 53kg category in India. “It’s not like that. Only the athlete knows how much hard work she has done and why she wins or loses.” That maturity reflects Antim’s own growth from junior champion to senior contender.

“Earlier, if we lost one or two points, we panicked. Now I understand there are six minutes. Even if I lose a point, there is time to fight calmly.” Her training, too, has evolved. After returning to coach Siyaram Dahiya, Antim has focused on structured workloads, recovery and rehabilitation.

“Now we don’t overtrain. We plan when to train on the mat and when not to. Coaches and physios sit together and decide what will work best,” she explains. Foreign exposure stays crucial: While Antim feels national camps provide solid preparation, she believes foreign exposure remains crucial.

“We know how Indians wrestle because we have grown up with them. Foreign wrestlers have more speed. Training with them helps a lot, so we should have intermittent exposure camps abroad.” For all the analysis and preparation, Antim’s mindset once she steps onto the mat remains refreshingly simple.

“Before the bout, thoughts come. But once I am on the mat, I just fight. I don’t think about losing. I think about giving my 100 percent.” The 2026 PWL season will begin on January 15 at Noida Indoor stadium. Indian wrestler Antim Panghal poses for a picture with a medal. Panghal was bought for `52 lakh by UP Dominators as the most expensive Indian woman wrestler at the recent PWL auction.