Grappler Aman Sehrawat became India's youngest ever Olympic medallist by clinching the 57kg free-style category bronze less than a month after his 21st birthday to complete a memorable Games debut and lift the sagging spirits of the controversy-hit national wrestling contingent here on Friday.
Sehrawat, who turned 21 on July 16, notched up a commanding 13-5 win over Puerto Rico's Darian Cruz in a high-intensity third-place contest.
Before him, the celebrated P V Sindhu held the title of being India's youngest Olympic podium finisher after she claimed a silver in the 2016 Games at the age of 21 years, one month and 14 days.
Sehrawat has not even completed a month since turning 21. His effort helped India win its sixth medal and move closer to the Tokyo Games tally of seven. The country has so far secured one silver and five bronze, including today's medal.
"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 youngster, who was raised by his grandfather after losing his parents as a child, said after his triumph.
"The target was gold but I had to be content with bronze this time. I had to forget the semifinal 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," he added enthusiastically.
The U-23 world champion was the lone Indian male wrestler to qualify for the Paris Games and he did not disappoint. Wrestling has not missed a medal at the Olympics since 2008 and Sehrawat's effort ensured the streak remained unbroken.
Sushil Kumar broke the glass ceiling by winning the bronze in Beijing (2008), and since then Yogeshwar Dutt (2012), Sakshi Malik (2016), Ravi Dahiya and Bajrang Punia (2021) have kept the tradition intact.
Coach Jagmender Singh and Virender Dahiya said they spent a sleepless night to monitor Sehrawat's weight.
"We took special precautions to reduce his weight. We kept checking his weight every hour. We didn't sleep the whole night," Dahiya said.
Lifts spirits of wrestling contingent
A lot was expected from women wrestlers but Antim Panghal (53kg), Anshu Malik (57kg), and Nisha Dahiya (68kg) could not reach the medal rounds in their respective categories.
On the other hand, Vinesh Phogat (50kg) lost despite entering the final as she was disqualified from the gold-medal bout for being 100gm overweight.
The disqualification led to a huge uproar in the country and Vinesh has challenged her ouster in the ad-hoc division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The hearing concluded on Friday and a decision is expected by Sunday evening.
Teenager Panghal also landed herself in trouble for sending her sister to the Games Village on her accreditation card. She was deported along with her entourage on Thursday after a first-round loss.
Shows off aggressive moves
It was a fast-paced bout with quick moves from the two rival wrestlers.
Once Sehrawat got a measure of his opponent, he did not give much of a chance to the Puerto Rican.
He built a healthy 6-3 lead by the end of first period with consecutive takedown moves.
As is usually the case, Sehrawat, who thrives on a high-endurance game, first tried to wear down his opponent and then went for the kill.
With dominating technical-superiority wins over Vladimir Egorov and Zelimkhan Abakarov, the Indian wrestler stormed into the semifinals without conceding a single point but was no match for Japan's Rei Higuchi in the semifinals.
Tough beginning
Having lost his parents at a tender age of 12, the famed Chhatrasal stadium -- where his father had enrolled him in 2013 -- became Sehrawat's second home.
The stadium that became his shelter was the one gave India four Olympic medallists -- Sushil Kumar, Yogeshwar Dutt, Bajrang Punia and Ravi Dahiya.
And Sehrawat ensured that he joined the roll of honour as the youngest among the giants who did it before him.
Reetika Hooda (76kg) will be in action on Saturday, and if she wins a medal, India will match its Tokyo tally.
