Already out of her Women’s 53kg contest, Indian wrestler Antim Panghal is reportedly staring at a 3-year ban. Antim is said to have caused embarrassment to the Indian Olympic contingent by trying to facilitate her sister’s entry into the athletes’ village through her accreditation card. A report in news agency PTI has claimed that Antim will be banned for three years by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), because of the act. Panghal had crashed out of the Olympics after losing her opening bout in the women’s 53kg category on Wednesday.
“The decision will be formally announced after she reaches India,” the contingent source said.
The Indian Olympic Association decided to send her and her support staff back after the disciplinary breach was brought to its notice by the French authorities.
“Her sister was caught for impersonation and was taken to a police station to record her statement,” a source had revealed last night.
Antim herself also broke silence on the matter, saying her sister only went into the athletes’ village to get some of the wrestler’s stuff. Antim herself could not go as she was unwell and was resting in the same hotel where her sister was staying.
What Antim Panghal said on the controversy:
“I want to clarify that the reports about my sister or me being detained by police in Paris are false, nothing of this sort happened,” she sais in a video shared by NNIS Sports.
“Yesterday I fell extremely sick after losing the bout and had high fever. So my sister, who was staying in a hotel asked me to come there. I took the permission from my coach, which he allowed.
“After coming to the hotel, I needed my belongings, which were at the Olympic Village. But as I was not feeling well I slept and my sister took my accreditation card and went to the Village.
“Upon reaching there she informed that this is my sister’s accreditation card and she is unwell, so can I collect her belongings from the Village. The officials took the accreditation card and took her to the police station for verification. I was not taken to the police station, only my sister went. And that too just to verify the accreditation, following which she was asked to go and was handed over the accreditation card.”
With PTI Inputs
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