'I had to win an Olympic medal for the sake of my family,' says India's youngest Olympic medallist Aman Sehrawat

Aman Sehrawat spoke about his journey to the Olympic podium in an exclusive interview with Khel Now.

Aman Sehrawat created history by becoming the youngest Indian to medal at the Olympics, winning bronze in the Men’s Freestyle 57kg at the Paris Olympics 2024.

This achievement comes as a significant boost to India’s wrestling contingent, which faced a series of setbacks in the lead-up to the Games.

The Indian wrestling team had endured a challenging competition, with notable disappointments including Vinesh Phogat’s disqualification before the final, Nisha Dahiya’s injury in the quarter-final, and Antim Panghal’s surprising first-round exit. Sehrawat’s bronze medal is a crucial morale booster for the team.

Aman, the first Indian wrestler to win a gold at the U-23 World Championships, was under tremendous pressure. Apart from being the only Indian male wrestler to qualify for the Paris Games, he also had to keep up the prestige of his academy—the Chhatrasal Stadium, which has seen the emergence of the likes of Sushil Kumar, Yogeshwar Dutt, Bajrang Punia and Ravi Dahiya.

Also Read: List of medallist for India at Summer Olympics

He also had to maintain another record—India has won an Olympic medal in wrestling in every edition, since the 2008 Beijing Games.

In an exclusive interview with Khel Now, the wrestler from Birohar, Haryana spoke combatted wrestling pressure, about his life, upbringing, Paris Olympics and much more.

Sehrawat, the only Indian male wrestler to qualify for the Paris Games, was under immense pressure. “There was pressure on me. I was the only Indian male wrestler. Apart from that, all those who have trained at the (Chhatrasal) Stadium and gone to the Olympics, have returned with medals. I too wanted to win one. I was aiming for gold.

“I knew I was winning a medal for sure considering how hard I have trained, but I wanted gold,” he said.

Despite this pressure, Sehrawat focused on his training and mental preparation. He added, “I spoke to my coaches, gurus as well as Sushil Kumar. They told me to not take tension and keep my mind free. Don’t overthink about the fact that you are at the Olympics. I just focused on practicing and resting. I didn’t think about winning or losing, or about the consequences of winning or not winning a medal.”

Sehrawat’s journey to this point has been far from easy. He lost both his parents at the age of 11 and faced numerous struggles. Reflecting on his early days, he shared, “My journey started at the age of 10. I used to see kids playing in ‘akharas’. I picked up the sport and eventually, my father enrolled me at the Chhatrasal Stadium. He passed away five-six months later. That is when I made up my mind that I have to win an Olympic medal for the sake of my family.”

The Hangzhou Asian Games bronze medallist began his campaign with a win via technical superiority against North Macedonian Vladimir Egorov. In the quarterfinals, he faced 2022 World Champion Zelimkhan Abakarov.

Despite being the underdog, Sehrawat overturned a previous defeat with a stunning performance, winning via technical superiority. “In the second match, against the World Champion from Albania, I told myself that is the medal bout. I need to win this: this is the main match. The bout went exactly as I had planned,” he noted.

However, Sehrawat faced a tough challenge in the semifinal against Rei Higuchi, the Rio 2016 silver medallist. Higuchi won the bout in just over two minutes. Sehrawat commented, “I didn’t have too many weaknesses, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to compete at the biggest stage.

However, there were a few chinks in my defence, during the bout against the Japanese wrestler. He was quicker too. My plan was to keep him at bay for the first two-three minutes. However, things didn’t go to plan.”

In the bronze medal match against Puerto Rican Darian Cruz, Sehrawat initially felt nervous but secured a comfortable 13-5 victory. He recalled, “I had the weigh-in at 7 in the morning and the bout was at 7 in the evening. I felt that pressure throughout the day. But I got confidence because Sushil Kumar had told me that the result will come in my favour. I didn’t want to think much about the bout and took rest in my room.”

Sehrawat also addressed concerns about his weight management, explaining that he weighed approximately 3.5 to 4 kilos above the limit after the semifinal. “We start working on the weight fifteen days before a competition. Obviously, my weight won’t be 57 kg. I will be measuring 61-62 kg. Hence, you have to start working well in advance. You have a weigh-in in the morning,” he said.

Despite the challenges faced by Indian wrestling, including missed opportunities by other wrestlers, Sehrawat remains optimistic. “Deepak Punia and Sujeet got stuck at the airport before the Asian Qualifiers. Otherwise, they would have definitely qualified. They have been doing well. Even the female wrestlers have put on good performances,” he remarked.

To aspiring wrestlers, Sehrawat offered this advice: “Wrestlers need to have discipline and respect their gurus. Set a goal for yourself, work hard day and night. You will never even realize that you have reached a big stage as this. I have been at the Chhatrasal Stadium for 10-11 years, but it seems as if I just entered yesterday. I have now won an Olympic medal. All of this happened on its own.”

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