Aman Sehrawat wins bronze as Indian wrestling team finally opens account in Paris Olympics

Wrestler Aman Sehrawat signed off from his maiden Olympic campaign in Paris in style by winning bronze in the men’s 57kg event on Friday.

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Sehrawat defeated Puerto Rico’s Darian Cruz 13-5 in the bronze medal match at the Paris Olympics on Friday to open India’s account in wrestling — which would have been the country’s second in the sport had Vinesh Phogat not been disqualified from the women’s 50kg event for being overweight by the barest of margins.

The bout was initially a tightly-contested affair before Sehrawat surged ahead. Cruz opened his account with a single point after pushing Sehrawat out of the mat, and regained the lead at 3-2 after the Indian opened his account with a two-pointer. The first period ended 6-3 in favour of the Indian, who had managed to secure a number of takedowns.

Cruz would then narrow the deficit after collecting two points with a takedown at the start of the second period, with the score reading 6-5. Sehrawat, however, seized control of the bout and it was a one-way street in favour of the Indian thereafter. The bout was as good as over with half-a-minute left of the clock.

Read | ‘PRIDE OF THE COUNTRY!’: Bhaker, PM Modi hail Sehrawat for winning bronze

Not only is it India’s first wrestling medal in Paris 2024, it also takes their overall tally to six — one silver and five bronze — matching their haul in the London 2012 Games in the process.

Sehrawat’s feat also keep Indian wrestling’s streak of winning at least one wrestling medal at the Olympics since Beijing 2008 alive. His bronze is India’s eighth Olympic medal in wrestling starting with KD Jadhav’s bronze in Helsinki 1952, making wrestling the most successful Olympic sport for India after hockey.

And in the process, he became the youngest ever individual Olympic medallist from India at 21 years 0 months and 24 days.

Sehrawat bettered PV Sindhu’s record, who was 21 years 1 month and 14 days old when she won silver at the Rio Olympics 2016.

Sehrawat, the latest world-class wrestler to emerge from Delhi’s famous Chhatrasal Stadium that has produced icons such as two-time Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar, had begun his Olympic campaign on a solid note on Thursday.

“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 target was gold but I had to be content with bronze this time. I had to forget the semi-final 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,” Sehrawat said after winning the bronze medal bout.

Read | Wrestler Aman Sehrawat dedicates bronze to ‘mom, dad, and to the whole nation’

The 21-year-old from Haryana defeated Macedonia’s Vladimir Egorov (10-0) and Albania’s Zelimkhan Abakarov (12-0) in the pre-quarter-finals and quarter-finals respectively.

Sehrawat, however, would be stopped on his tracks by Japan’s Rei Higuchi, who had won silver in the 2016 Rio Olympics and advanced to the gold medal match on Thursday with a commanding 10-0 victory over the Indian.

Sehrawat though, isn’t the final Indian wrestler in action. Reetika Hooda will be making her Olympic debut in women’s 76kg on Saturday and will be hoping to feature in either medal match on Sunday, the last day of the Paris Olympics.

Should Reetika also finish on the podium, it will take India’s tally to seven, matching their best-ever haul that they achieved in the Tokyo Olympics. The Indian contingent, though, had won a gold and two silvers in Tokyo.

And if Vinesh is successful in her appeal lodged before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against her disqualification from the women’s 50kg event, and manages to get a joint-silver, it will take India’s tally to eight — their best ever at the Olympics.