Paris Olympics 2024: Indian wrestler Aman Sehrawat added another bronze medal to India’s tally by defeating Darian Toi Cruz from Puerto Rico with a score of 13-5 in the 57kg wrestling event on Thursday. Sehrawat showcased his skills with two impressive victories before losing to top-seed Rei Higuchi of Japan in the semifinals. He began his campaign with a win over Vladimir Egorov and continued his dominant performance with a technical superiority victory over former world champion Zelimkhan Abakarov of Albania, earning eight straight points in a 12-0 win.
Who is Aman Sehrawat?
Born on July 16, 2003, Aman Sehrawat is now the youngest Indian to win an Olympic medal at just 21 years and 24 days old, surpassing PV Sindhu, who was 21 years, 1 month, and 14 days old when she won silver in Rio 2016. Hailing from Birohar in the Jhajjar district of Haryana Aman, faced tough times early in life after losing his parents when he was just 10. He has shared that this loss felt like his world had ended. After the tragedy, Aman and his younger sister, Puja Sehrawat, were cared for by their uncle, Sudhir Sehrawat, and their maternal aunt. His grandfather, Mangeram Sehrawat, was crucial in helping him through severe depression.
Aman has said that his grandfather was his rock, urging him to continue with wrestling and supporting him when he felt like giving up. Losing his parents at such a young age, Aman found refuge at the Chhatrasal stadium, where his father had enrolled him in 2013. This stadium, known for producing Olympic medallists like Sushil Kumar, Yogeshwar Dutt, Bajrang Punia, and Ravi Dahiya, became a second home for him. Aman has now joined these champions, becoming the youngest to do so.
Aman’s Wrestling Journey
Aman first gained attention in 2019 with a gold medal at the Asian Cadet Championship in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan. He continued to shine with a gold medal at the Asian Championships in Astana in 2023 and a bronze medal at the Asian Games 2022. His focus shifted to the Paris Olympics 2024, where he secured his berth by defeating Chongsong Han of Korea 12-2 in the semi-finals at the World Wrestling Olympic Qualifiers in Istanbul, making him the only male wrestler from India to qualify for the Olympics.