Aman Sehrawat achieved a notable feat by clinching the men's 57kg freestyle bronze medal at the Olympics on Friday, emerging victorious over Darian Toi Cruz. This victory brought some much-needed joy to the Indian wrestling contingent, which has been grappling with controversies.
The 21-year-old U-23 world champion was the only male Indian wrestler to qualify for the Paris Games, and he lived up to expectations by securing a 13-5 win in the bronze play-off at Champ de Mars Arena.
Wrestling has been a consistent medal-winning sport for India at the Olympics since 2008, and Aman's performance ensured that this streak remained unbroken.
Sushil Kumar set the tone by winning the bronze in Beijing in 2008, and ever since, Yogeshwar Dutt (2012), Sakshi Malik (2016), Ravi Dahiya, and Bajrang Punia (2021) have upheld this tradition.
Aman's achievement also contributed to India's overall tally at the Tokyo Games, bringing the country's total to six medals, inching closer to the tally of seven.
Antim Panghal (53kg), Anshu Malik (57kg), and Nisha Dahiya (68kg) were unable to reach the medal rounds in their respective categories. Meanwhile, Vinesh Phogat (50kg) suffered a loss in the final after being disqualified from the gold-medal bout due to being overweight.
The disqualification sparked widespread outrage in the country, and the decision has been contested in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The hearing has concluded, and a ruling is anticipated by Sunday evening.
Teenager Antim Pangal encountered her own set of troubles by using her sister's accreditation card to gain access to the Games Village. Consequently, she and her entourage were deported.
It was a fast-paced bout with quick moves from the two wrestlers.
Once Aman got a measure of his rival, he did not give much of a chance to the Puerto Rican.
He established a solid 6-3 advantage by the conclusion of the initial period through consecutive successful takedown manoeuvres.
Aman, known for his ability to endure, initially aimed to exhaust his opponent before going in for the decisive move.
After securing dominant technical-superiority victories against Vladimir Egorov and Zelimkhan Abakarov, the Indian wrestler advanced to the semifinals without conceding a single point but was outmatched by Japan's Rei Higuchi in the semifinals.
After losing his parents at the young age of 12, he found a second home in the renowned Chhatrasal stadium in north Delhi, where his father had enrolled him in 2013.
He hails from the institution that has produced four Olympic medalists for India—Sushil Kumar, Yogeshwar Dutt, Bajrang Punia, and Ravi Dahiya.
Reetika Hooda (76kg) is set to compete on Saturday, and if she secures a medal, India will equal its Tokyo medal count.
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