Aman Sehrawat pins down Olympic glory
Paris: Aman Sehrawat secured India’s sixth medal at the Paris Olympics on Friday by clinching bronze in the 57 kg wrestling weight category. The famous Chhatrasal Stadium in New Delhi, known for producing numerous wrestling champions, counts Aman among its elite. He brought joy to the nation as he decisively defeated Darian Toi Cruz on points to win the bronze medal. From the moment Aman entered the arena, touched the floor, and then his heart, he exuded confidence.
For the first minute, Aman seemed to be assessing Darian’s strategy, which lacked any solid direction. As time passed, Aman found his rhythm and displayed brilliant form. He did not attempt anything risky but excelled with his technique, using tight grips to outmanoeuvre Darian. The match showcased impressive tactics and technique from the wrestler, who trains at a venue that has produced champions like Sushil Kumar and Ravi Kumar Dahiya. Sushil won two Olympic medals in Beijing 2008 and London 2012, while Ravi claimed a silver medal in the Tokyo Olympics but is currently sidelined with an injury.
Recently, much of the focus in wrestling has been on politics and how Vinesh Phogat missed out on a medal due to being 100 grams overweight.
However, the despondency in the Indian camp was lifted by Aman, who was a picture of confidence.
The bearded young athlete has benefited from training camps abroad, including in Makhachkala, Russia, accompanied by his physio, Naitik Prakash Vohra, funded by the Sports Authority of India.
Like many wrestlers, Aman comes from a humble background. After securing the bronze medal, he was almost reverential, folding his hands and saying “namaste” to the packed arena that had witnessed his clean wrestling.
Aman draws inspiration from Sushil Kumar and first showed his potential when he won a gold medal at the U23 World Wrestling Championships. He also performed admirably at last year’s Asian Games in Hangzhou, where he won a bronze medal despite sustaining a cut on his nose.
After winning the bronze medal, Aman was emotional and vowed to aim for a gold medal at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. India’s medal tally at Paris 2024 now stands at six, thanks to Aman’s victory.
Like Manu Bhaker, Aman hails from Jhajjar in Haryana but has based himself in New Delhi. His childhood was marked by struggles after losing his parents early on, and he has been supported by his grandfather.
His extended family back in India will undoubtedly be emotional after his win.
For Team India, this medal is a significant relief. A tally of six medals is just one short of the seven medals won at Tokyo three years ago.
