Wrestling, Olympics 2024: Indian grapplers aim to kickstart new era in Paris

As we count down to the 2024 Olympic Games, the top competitors will be expected to continue to perform at the highest level, while others will hope to punch above their weight and reach for a spot on the podium. In the build up to the mega event in Paris, Scroll looks at the eight different Olympic disciplines where Indians have returned with a medal.

Indian wrestling has been going through an incredibly difficult period since the start of 2023. From protests led by Olympic medallists Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia in January 2023 against former Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, to the same athletes being manhandled by the Delhi Police in April 2023, the lead-up to the 2024 Paris Olympics for the sport in India has been tumultuous.

The federation was overhauled and the lack of proper elections forced United World Wrestling, the sport’s world body, to suspend the Indian association in August 2023. This prevented Indian wrestlers from competing under the country’s flag in international competitions organised by UWW.

By May, things had somewhat settled down. Six quota winners – five female grapplers and a lone male wrestler – were confirmed to represent India at the Paris Olympics. And it is these six wrestlers who will shoulder the burden of trying to usher in a new era for Indian wrestling, when they take to the mat at the Champs-de-Mars Arena from August 5.

Rich legacy and a fresh start

Independent India’s first individual Olympic medal came in wrestling, when KD Jadhav won a bronze in the men’s freestyle 57kg event at the 1952 Helsinki Games. But it was not until Beijing 2008 that India’s second medal in the sport was won. Sushil Kumar clinched the bronze in the men’s freestyle 66kg event to end the 56-year wait for a second Olympic medal in wrestling.

From 2008 onwards though, India has won a medal in wrestling in every Olympic edition. Kumar won silver in London 2012 while Yogeshwar Dutt took bronze at the same edition. Rio de Janeiro 2016 saw Malik become the first female wrestler to win a medal, while Punia (bronze) and Ravi Dahiya (silver) stood on the podium in Tokyo.

This makes wrestling the second-most successful sport for India at the Olympics, after hockey, with seven medals overall.

Kumar is also one of three Indian athletes who has won multiple Olympic medals in an individual sport – the other two being Norman Pritchard in athletics and PV Sindhu in badminton.

However, in Paris, there are plenty of expectations from the Indian wrestlers. Not just to win medals, but to also put a strong enough performance that will allow the new-look Wrestling Federation of India to showcase its stability in the eyes of UWW and the rest of the world.

Strong charge for women’s wrestling

This is the third Olympics for veteran grappler Vinesh Phogat, who was one of the leading figures in the protests against Singh. The other two were Malik and Punia, with the former announcing her retirement last year while the latter failed to make the cut for Paris.

The 30-year-old Phogat comes from a famed family of wrestlers, with her cousin Geeta being the first Indian woman to win a Commonwealth Games gold medal in the sport, in the 2010 edition in New Delhi.

Phogat has gone on to win three Commonwealth Games gold medals herself (in 2014, 2018 and 2022). But an Olympic medal has so far evaded her.

The road to Paris has been difficult for Phogat who has had to deal with injuries and dropping a weight class (from 53kg to 50kg) to increase her chances of qualifying. What also may have been a factor in her decision was the competition she faced from compatriot and 2023 World Championship medallist Antim Panghal.

Panghal, who was the first wrestler to secure qualification for the Paris Games, competes in the women’s 53kg category, the same event that Phogat competed in at Tokyo 2020.

While Phogat participated in both categories during the national trials to decide who gets to compete at the Olympic qualifiers, she ended up winning the women’s 50kg trial.

Alongside Panghal and Phogat, Anshu Malik (57kg), Nisha Dahiya (68kg) and Under-23 world champion Reetika Hooda (76kg) will also be competing, making it the largest number of female wrestlers from India to qualify for the Olympics.

Aman Sehrawat – the lone ranger

Up until the final Olympic qualifers, no male wrestler had secured qualification in either the freestyle or Greco-Roman events. Tokyo 2020 medallists Punia and Dahiya had both lost the national Olympic trials in their respective categories and the other male wrestlers had not performed up to the mark.

Then came Aman Sehrawat, who won the quota in the men’s freestyle 57kg category at the World Olympic Qualifiers.

The 21-year-old from Haryana will be making his Olympic debut, but he does have it in him to make a mark.

Medal contenders

Phogat, because of her caliber and past experience, is the strongest medal contender for the Indian wrestling contingent in Paris. The veteran may struggle with maintaining the strain on her body by competing in a lower weight class, but should she overcome that hurdle, she could very well stand on the podium in Paris.

Panghal also is another contender because of her dominant form last year which has seen her win bronze medals at the World Championship and Asian Games. The 19-year-old wrestler was also the country’s first Under-20 world champion in the women’s 53kg category and will certainly be in contention for a spot on the podium.

A surprising contender is Hooda, the current Under-23 world champion. Despite competing in one of the heavier weight categories, Hooda, 22, possesses natural strength that has come in handy when competing with the world’s greatest in the past year.

The wrestling events at the 2024 Paris Olympics will be held from August 5 to 11.

Indian contingent

Men:

Aman Sehrawat – Freestyle 57kg

Women:

Vinesh Phogat – 50kg

Antim Panghal – 53kg

Anshu Malik – 57kg

Nisha Dahiya – 68kg

Reetika Hooda – 76kg