New Delhi: Antim Panghal has raised the bar for herself this year. The twice World Championships medallist is aiming for bigger laurels, at the Asian Games and the World Championships.

Her season will begin with the Ranking Series in Zagreb from February 4, and Antim will be looking to hit the ground running. The Pro Wrestling League (PWL) has served as a good warm-up ahead of the crucial season. During the league, Antim faced good competition, including four-time world champion Yui Susaki of Japan. Though she lost the bout 8-3, Antim said she learned a great deal from the contest.

Despite Susaki showing her class, Antim lasted the full six minutes and even managed a takedown against the Tokyo Olympics gold medallist.

One area that has repeatedly hurt Antim, however, is conceding early leads, which puts her under pressure to mount a comeback. She is keen to make an aggressive start and maintain an attacking intent going forward.

“The bouts I have lost, I conceded big leads early and wasn’t able to recover. Against Susaki in the PWL, I was 8-0 down, and it’s very difficult to come back from that position against top opponents. At the World Championships, I lost to Ecuador’s Lucia Yamileth Yepez Guzman. I was attacking, but she countered and took an early four-point lead. I lost by a small margin,” said Antim.

The Indian wrestler lost 5-3 to Olympic silver medallist Yepez before winning bronze through the repechage.

“I need to make good starts and take the lead. With an eight-point lead, Susaki only had to defend. Still, I managed to avoid a pin or technical fall. That gave me confidence that I can score points against her.

“If we meet again, I will know when to attack. I have heard she might compete at the Asian Games in this weight class as well,” she added.

“I have to be focused this year. After the Ranking Series, we have the Asian Games and the World Championships. If I win medals there, it will give me confidence going into Olympic qualification and selection trials.”

“I already have two World Championships bronze medals, and now I want to change the colour of the medal. It’s good that we had tough bouts in the PWL against the world’s best wrestlers, which has prepared us for the season ahead.”

Tackling the Japanese will be crucial for Antim. At the Zagreb Ranking Series, Japan will be represented by Umi Imai, the 2023 U23 world champion, in 53kg. Japan’s depth allows it to rotate wrestlers with an eye on future Olympics. The country has dominated the category, winning Olympic and world titles. At the Paris Olympics, Akari Fujinami claimed gold, while Haruna Murayama Okuno is the reigning world champion.

Susaki usually competes in 50kg but wrestled at 53kg in the PWL. It remains to be seen which weight class she will contest at the domestic Meiji Cup, which will serve as Japan’s selection event for the Asian Games that will be held at home in Aichi-Nagoya in September.

Antim, who won bronze at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, knows she must find a way past Japanese wrestlers to achieve bigger success. Their speed and agility often leave opponents with little room to respond. Vinesh Phogat showcased a brilliant strategy against Susaki at the Paris Olympics, executing a late attack to beat her in their famous showdown.

“It’s not that the Japanese wrestlers are unbeatable,” Antim says. “They have speed and strong technique, but we have endurance. We take the bout till the end — that’s our style.”

National coach of women’s team Virender Dahiya believes Antim must also add variety to her attacks. “We are working on it. She has good defence, but in attack she needs more options. She has shown that she is capable of beating the best.”