Indian wrestling has been making headlines for a year-and-a-half. But, it has mostly been for the matters outside the mat, not on it. The Indian wrestlers had launched protests against the former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, accusing him of sexual harassment. From sleeping in tents and footpaths to getting dragged on the streets of the National Capital by Delhi Police. The result of the protests was witnessed in the tally of wrestlers who could make it to the Paris Olympics 2024.
After every four years, when the Olympics approach, one category on which everyone pins their hopes for glory is wrestling. After all, India has won seven medals in the wrestling category so far at the Olympic Games, with two silvers and five bronze. The wrestlers have also had a streak of bringing a medal home since the last four Olympic Games.
The Indian wrestlers won the battle that was done off the mat, with the ouster of Brij Bhushan and a case being filed. Now it is time for the 6-member wrestling team to focus on the fight that will be done on the mat at one of the biggest stages.
Contrary to the previous editions of the Olympic Games, which witnessed the men wrestlers dominating the charts with 6 medals, in comparison to Sakshi Malik being the sole female wrestler to win a medal at Summer Games. The Paris 2024 Olympics will witness five women athletes and just one male athlete taking part in the freestyle event.
Paris Olympics 2024: Full Coverage
India’s wrestling contingent
Aman Sehrawat, (men’s 57kg), Vinesh Phogat (women’s 50kg), Antim Panghal (women’s 53kg), Anshu Malik (women’s 57kg), Nisha (women’s 68kg), and Reetika Hooda (women’s 76kg).
Notably, only Aman (fourth) and Antim (sixth) have been seeded from the Indian contingent.
Phogat seeks redemption
Since last year, Vinesh Phogat has fought the battle for not just her career, but her life as well. She was one of the leading protesters against the former WFI chief and turned out to be the only competing wrestler among the three leaders at the Paris Olympics 2024. Her knee surgery had forced her to miss the Asia Games and made an impeccable comeback after that.
However, she had to cut down her weight to 50kg to secure an Olympic berth. She managed to do it all despite battling with mental health issues and administrative chaos during the Tokyo Olympics 2020. She was injured on the mat during the Rio Olympics 2016 and dealt with an unsupportive system during the Tokkyo Olympics. Can Vinesh finally bring home glory this time?
Phogat doesn’t have an Olympic medal yet, but she has already done so much for Indian wrestling, on and off the mat. Since Phogat is not seeded in the Paris Games, she could be in for a tough ride..
Debutant wrestlers look to make maiden podium appearance
Antim Panghal is competing in the women’s 53kg category. The youngster was the first Indian wrestler to win an Olympic quota and a result of that led to Vinesh dropping down to the 50kg category. This will be the first time that wrestling will have seedings and Panghal is currently the 4th seeded player. Her seeding gave her a good advantage as she avoided big names in the early rounds.
If she lives up to her reputation and ability, Panghal should make it to the final where she will be up against Akari Fujinami, who will be a force to be reckoned with. The Japanese wrestler hasn’t lost a bout since 2017.
Wrestler Reetika Hooda, another debutant in the Olympics, became the first Indian to qualify for the Olympics in the heavyweight (76kg) category.
A women-dominated wrestling contingent
The 2022 Under-23 World Champion, Aman, is the only male wrestler in the Indian contingent. The Tokyo 2020 Olympic medallists, Ravi Dahiya and Bajrang Punia lost the national Olympic trials in their respective categories. Aman Sehrawat, the 2023 Asian champion and the 2022 Under-23 world champion, could face Japan’s Rei Higuchi or Armenia’s Arsen Harutyunyan before the medal rounds begin.
Rei Higuchi is a Rio 2016 silver medallist and the 2022 world champion. He beat Aman at the Hungarian Ranking Series in June. Arsen Harutyunyan won bronze at the 2023 World Championships.
The Paris 2024 Olympic wrestling competition will get underway from August 5.