Olympics 2024 | Aman Sehrawat wins bronze, claims India's first wrestling medal at Paris Games

Almost poetically, Michael Jackson’s ‘Beat It’ blared at the arena as Sehrawat raised his hands in triumph after beating Puerto Rico’s Toi Darian Cruz 13-5 in the men’s 57kg freestyle bronze bout.

Paris: The Chhatrasal Stadium in north Delhi is a world-class wrestling factory and it’s latest premium quality export is Aman Sehrawat.

The 21-year-old, who calls the venerable place his home after being orphaned at the age 11, joined the league of stalwarts like Sushil Kumar, Yogeshwar Dutt, Ravi Kumar Dahiya and Bajrang Punia to bag an Olympic medal after beating Puerto Rico’s Toi Darian Cruz 13-5 in the men’s 57kg freestyle bronze bout of the Paris Games at the Champ-de-Mars Arena on Friday.

The 29-year-old Cruz came rushing out the blocks catching Sehrawat cold but the youngster displayed superb wrestling skills beyond his age to outsmart the seasoned Puerto Rican. And almost poetically Michael Jackson’s ‘Beat It’ blared at the arena as Sehrawat raised his hands in triumph.

The youngster thus lifted the pall of gloom that had descended upon the wrestling contingent here after Vinesh Phogat was disqualified on the day of her women’s 57kg final against Sarah Hildebrandt and women’s 53kg wrestler Antim Panghal was deported back home for a case of impersonation.

Early life struggles

Like most wrestlers at Chhatrasal, Sehrawat’s life too is filled with plenty of struggles. The first punch came when he was around 8 years old when saw his mother pass away. A couple of years later, his father took him to Chhatrasal as young Sehrawat was inspired by Sushil’s silver medal winning show at the London Olympics in 2012. Then came the second punch which knocked him out completely. As he was training, he heard the news that his father too passed away due to illness, rendering him homeless.

“For any 10-11 year old when he hears that both his parents are no more, it can be brutal,” coach Jaiveer Singh, who has groomed Sehrawat since he checked into Chhatrasal, told DH. “That news ripped his soul apart. It took a good couple of years to actually recover. When I lost my father even as an adult, my world was shaken. Imagine an 11-year-old with no mother or father. While all of us go to our families during festivals to celebrate, he remains in Chhatrasal because he has no family.”

The fraternity at Chhatrasal then ensured Sehrawat gets all the love and care he needs to rise up. His longtime friend Sagar provided him food, shelter and clothing while one of Sehrawat’s uncle also kept in touch to ensure the kid doesn’t feel lonely.

Slowly, Sehrawat came out of the depressive phase and realised wrestling could be the purpose of his life. He channelled all his attention on it, the only goal being of emulating his icon Sushil Kumar. His first taste of success came at the National Championships in 2021 where he won the gold. Thereafter he has just been stepping up his game at an incredible rate.

In 2022, he triumphed at the Asian Under-23 Championships before following that up with a gold at the Under-23 World Championships, becoming the first Indian to do so. Last year, he won gold at the Asian Championships and a bronze at the Hangzhou Asian Games. A medal in the last event turned out to be a significant one as that helped him get a private room.

“Until the Asian Games, he was sharing a room with Sagar. After Hangzhou, he managed to make some money which helped him get an independent room. He’s one of the most hardworking and dedicated wrestlers I have seen in my life. He’s been through a lot of hardships, his performances at the Olympics changes his life. More than Paris, our main goal is LA 2028 when he will attain his peak,” said Jaiveer.

Given the youngster’s dedication, progress and an Olympic medal around his neck, anything is possible.