Aman Sehrawat from Haryana became the youngest Indian ever to win an Olympic medal after he won bronze in the 57kg freestyle wrestling event.
The 21-year-old wrestler defeated Puerto Rico's Darian Cruz on August 9 to create history. However, his journey to this incredible day was not an easy one.
Born in 2003 in a Haryana village called Birohar, Sehrawat lost both his parents when he was only 11 years old, according to media reports. A News18 article stated that it was wrestling that helped him recover from depression following his parents' demise.
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In 2021, he won his first National Championship title at the age of 18.
The very next year he won a gold medal at the Under-23 Asian Championships, becoming the first-ever Indian to do so.
In April 2023 and January 2024 he won gold medals at the Asian Wrestling Championships held in Astana and in the men's 57kg event at the Zagreb Open wrestling tournament.
He then competed at the Olympic Qualification tournament held in Istanbul and won India a quota place for the 2024 Paris Games. He was the only Indian male wrestler to qualify for the Olympics.
"I came with the dream of winning a medal at the Olympics. Wanted to win gold but everything happens for one's good. Next time, I will be better prepared. This was a big boost for me and I have the belief now that I will surely do well in the 2028 Olympics," Sehrawat told NDTV.
After his loss in the semifinals against Japan's Rei Higuchi, he had gained some weight and needed to shed it to get back within the permissible range before his bronze medal match. He told NDTV that he worked out all night and did not sleep at all to lose the extra weight.
"We did a lot to lose that weight. Once the bout ended, I practiced for two hours. Then at around 1 am, I trained at the gym. By 3, I was somewhat done. But I did not sleep at all before the fight," he said.
Published 10 August 2024, 08:53 IST