Aman Sehrawat: Another wrestling gem from Haryana unearthed

New Delhi: Just when India’s wrestling campaign at the Paris Olympics 2024 was thrown into turmoil with Vinesh Phogat’s disqualification saga, her compatriot Aman Sehrawat rose and bagged a bronze medal in men’s freestyle 57kg event on Friday. It was India’s first medal in the sport at the ongoing Games as Sehrawat claimed his maiden Olympic medal which has been nothing short of a silver lining for Indians across the globe.

With Sehrawat’s effort, India’s tally is six-medal strong out of which five are bronze and only one silver medal. The young wrestler had started his campaign on a promising note in his first Olympics on Thursday as he beat Vladimir Egorov of North Macedonia 10-0 in the pre-quarterfinal and further defeated Zelimkhan Abakarov of Albania 12-0 in the quarterfinal, sealing a berth in the semifinal.

He set his eyes on the wrestling gold but couldn’t proceed further from his semifinal bout where he was defeated 10-0 by Japan’s Rei Higuchi. He although made it to the bronze medal play-off scheduled for Friday where his opponent turned out to be Darian Cruz of Puerto Rico. Sehrawat downed Cruz 13-5 in the medal event, winning a fifth bronze metal for India and taking the tally to six medals.

He notably became the youngest Indian (21 years, 0 months, and 24 days) to win an individual Olympic medal, surpassing the previous record held by ace shuttler PV Sindhu (21 years, 1 month, and 14 days) when she won silver at the Rio Olympics 2016. Sehrawat’s journey to Paris is another tale of rising from a difficult time and making a name for oneself on the biggest stage on their own.

Who is Aman Sehrawat?

Aman Sehrawat was born on July 16, 2003, and hails from Birohar village of Jhajjar in Haryana. He lost his parents due to different medical conditions at the tender age of 11 and was raised by his grandfather, Mangeram Sehrawat. He initially took part in mud wrestling and drew inspiration from two-time Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar, whose victory at the 2012 Summer Olympics made him sure about his career in sports.

He got enrolled at the iconic Chhatrasal Stadium in North Delhi at the age of 10 and continues to train there. The venue is known for producing multiple Olympic medallists, which has proven to be the case in Sehrawat as well.

He received recognition by becoming the first Indian wrestler to secure a gold medal in the U23 Wrestling Championships in 2022. The 21-year-old attributes his success to the inspiration he took from Sushil. His achievements include gold medals in various championships, which showcases his promising career in wrestling.

Major achievements

No journey to the Olympics is a cakewalk as it requires sheer will and dedication in one’s field and Sehrawat’s road wasn’t any different as he completed an arduous journey, proving his mettle in almost every tournament he took part in.

He won a gold medal at the U23 World Championship in 2022.
He won another gold medal at the U23 Asian Championship in 2022.
He claimed a bronze medal at the U20 Asian Championship in 2022.
He added a silver to his tally at the Ranking Series, Zouhaier Sghaier in 2022.
He bagged a bronze at the Ranking Series, Yasar Dogu in 2022.
At the Ranking Series, Dan Kolov & Nikola Petrov in 2022, he clinched a silver medal.
He clinched a gold medal at the Senior Asian Championships in 2023.
He had a bronze medal to his credit at the Ranking Series, Zagreb Open in 2023.
At the 19th Asian Games in 2023, he clinched a bronze medal.
He bagged a gold medal at the Ranking Series, Zagreb Open in 2024.
He clinched a silver medal at the Ranking Series, Polyak Imre & Vargo Janos Memorial in 2024.

And not to miss… an elite bronze medal at the Paris Olympics 2024 to add another feather to his glorious cap.

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 Aman Sehrawat bettered India’s medal tally by bagging the nation’s first wrestling medal at the Paris Olympics 2024, taking the total count to six medals. Here’s a look at his beginnings and road to Paris.  Other Sports Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today