Grappler Aman Sehrawat made history as India's youngest Olympic medalist by securing the bronze in the 57kg freestyle category less than a month after his 21st birthday. This remarkable achievement marked his debut at the Games and provided a much-needed morale boost for the embattled national wrestling contingent.
Sehrawat, who celebrated his 21st birthday on July 16, dominated the third-place contest with a commanding 13-5 victory over Puerto Rico's Darian Cruz in an intense battle.
Prior to Sehrawat's achievement, P V Sindhu held the distinction of being India's youngest Olympic podium achiever, having clinched a silver in the 2016 Games when she was 21 years and 1 month old.
Having just entered his 21st year, Sehrawat's outstanding performance contributed to India's sixth medal at the Tokyo Games, bringing the country closer to matching its tally of seven medals. Currently, India has secured one silver and five bronze medals, including today's remarkable accomplishment.
"It's been a long time since I won a medal for my country. I had to do something about it. I would like to say to the people of India that I will definitely win a gold for you in 2028," the youngster, who was raised by his grandfather after losing his parents as a child, said after his triumph.
"The target was gold but I had to be content with bronze this time. I had to forget the semifinal defeat. I told myself, let it go and focus on next. Sushil pehlawan ji won two medals, I will win in 2028 and then in 2032 also," he added enthusiastically.
The sole Indian male wrestler to qualify for the Paris Games was the U-23 world champion, and he lived up to expectations. Wrestling has maintained its streak of winning medals at the Olympics since 2008, and Sehrawat's performance ensured this streak continued.
Sushil Kumar achieved a breakthrough by securing the bronze in Beijing (2008), and since then, Yogeshwar Dutt (2012), Sakshi Malik (2016), Ravi Dahiya, and Bajrang Punia (2021) have upheld this tradition.
Coach Jagmender Singh and Virender Dahiya mentioned that they had a sleepless night monitoring Sehrawat's weight.
"We took special precautions to reduce his weight. We kept checking his weight every hour. We didn't sleep the whole night," Dahiya said.
Lifts the spirits of wrestling contingent
A high level of performance was anticipated from the women wrestlers, but Antim Panghal (53kg), Anshu Malik (57kg), and Nisha Dahiya (68kg) were unable to advance to the medal rounds in their respective weight categories.
Contrastingly, Vinesh Phogat (50kg) suffered a defeat despite making it to the final, as she was disqualified from the gold-medal match for exceeding the weight limit by 100 grams.
This disqualification caused significant controversy in the country, and Vinesh has contested her removal in the ad-hoc division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The hearing wrapped up on Friday, and a decision is anticipated by Sunday evening.
Teenager Panghal also found herself in a predicament for using her accreditation card to allow her sister into the Games Village. Following a loss in the first round, she and her entourage were deported on Thursday.
Shows off aggressive moves
In a fast-paced match, the two rival wrestlers displayed quick moves.
Once Sehrawat gauged his opponent, he didn't give the Puerto Rican much of a chance.
Ending the first period with consecutive takedown moves, he established a solid 6-3 lead.
As usual, Sehrawat, who excels in high-endurance play, first attempted to wear down his opponent before going 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.
Tough beginning
After losing his parents when he was just 12 years old, Sehrawat considered the renowned Chhatrasal stadium his second home, where his father had enrolled him in 2013.
This stadium, which became his refuge, is the same place that produced four Olympic medalists for India: Sushil Kumar, Yogeshwar Dutt, Bajrang Punia, and Ravi Dahiya.
Sehrawat made sure to add his name to the list of distinguished athletes, becoming the youngest among them.
Reetika Hooda (76kg) will compete on Saturday, and if she secures a medal, India's Tokyo medal count will be matched.
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