Aman Sehrawat, the sole male wrestler from India at Paris 2024, ensured that the tradition of Indian grapplers winning Olympic medals, continued by winning a bronze in the men’s 57kg freestyle weight division. At just 21 years, he became the youngest Indian to achieve this milestone.
As Aman stood on the podium with the Tricolour waving proudly, his fellow trainees at the fabled Chhatrasal Stadium in Delhi erupted in joy. Despite the celebrations, veteran coach Satpal Malik felt a mix of happiness and disappointment.
“We trained for gold, and I was confident Aman could become the Olympic champion. Still, I’m pleased with his achievement. Winning an Olympic medal at such a young age is an extraordinary feat,” Satpal told The Statesman.
He pointed out, “Aman was unfortunate to concede a four-point move against the Japanese wrestler in the semifinals. If he had managed to defend that move, he could have won the bout and possibly the final.”
Satpal acknowledged Aman’s deserving performance, saying, “He performed exceptionally well and could have won gold. However, sports can be unpredictable. He has worked incredibly hard over the past few years, and at just 21, if he continues to train and stays injury-free, he could be unstoppable at the next Olympics.”
Despite being one of the less experienced wrestlers in his weight division at the Paris Olympics, Aman demonstrated remarkable composure and skill. He defeated Vladimir Egorov of North Macedonia by technical superiority in the opening round.
In the quarterfinals, Aman faced the formidable Zelimkhan Abakarov, a former world champion from Albania who had previously beaten him at the World Championships. However, Aman remained unshaken, securing another victory by technical superiority to reach the semifinals, where he lost to the eventual champion Rei Higuchi of Japan.
Undeterred, Aman quickly rebounded to clinch the bronze medal by overcoming Darian Cruz of Puerto Rico in the play-off.
While the nation celebrates Aman’s achievement, Satpal is already focused on the future. The former Asian champion, who also mentored the legendary double Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar, aims to further develop Aman into a dominant force in world wrestling.
For Satpal, Aman’s Olympic success is a testament to his long-held belief in his decision to reject a Rajya Sabha seat offered by then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in favour of dedicating his life to training wrestlers.
“Aman’s Olympic medal is the best ‘guru dakshina’ he could have given me,” Satpal reflected. “I faced criticism for choosing to train wrestlers over a political career, but seeing Sushil and Aman succeed has made me feel vindicated. They have fulfilled my Olympic dreams.”