The Road to Paris 2024: Indian Wrestlers Aim To Maintain The Rich Vein Of Success

RF Olympic Program Jul 17, 2024

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Wrestling has been a significant contributor to India's Olympic success, second only to men’s field hockey. With a total of seven Olympic medals – two silver and five bronze – Indian wrestlers have consistently brought pride to the nation. The journey began with KD Jadhav, who clinched a bronze at the Helsinki 1952 Olympics, becoming independent India's first individual medallist

After a prolonged 56-year wait, Sushil Kumar broke the drought by winning a bronze in the 66kg category at the Beijing 2008 Olympics. He then went on to win a silver at the London 2012 Olympics, solidifying his place in Indian wrestling history. At the Rio 2016 Olympics, Sakshi Malik earned a bronze in the 58kg category, further cementing India's wrestling legacy. The Tokyo 2020 Olympics saw Ravi Kumar Dahiya (57kg) and Bajrang Punia (65kg) securing silver and bronze medals, respectively.

As we build up to the Paris 2024 Olympics, India is set to showcase its wrestling prowess once again. This year, the nation will be represented by one male wrestler, Aman Sehrawat (57kg), and five female wrestlers: Vinesh Phogat (50kg), Antim Panghal (53kg), Anshu Malik (57kg), Nisha Dahiya (68kg), and Reetika Hooda (76kg).

This edition of the Olympic Games will also see the seeding system being introduced for the first time ever. The seedings have been decided based on the wrestlers’ performance at 2023 World Championships, 2024 Continental Championships, 2024 Zagreb Open Ranking Series and the 2024 Hungarian Ranking Series. Two of our six wrestlers - Aman Sehrawat and Antim Panghal - have received seedings in their respective categories. While Aman will be seeded sixth in the 57Kg Men’s Wrestling, Antim is seeded fourth in the 53Kg Women’s Wrestling. Owing to these seedings, both the wrestlers could get favoured in the early rounds as they might avoid facing higher-ranked wrestlers in their category.

Reliance Foundation athlete Nisha Dahiya, a world U-23 bronze medallist, secured her berth for Paris 2024 at the World Olympic Qualifiers in Istanbul. She earned her spot by defeating Romania's Alexandra Anghel 8-4 in the semi-finals. She will be carrying the hopes of the nation when she takes the mat in the Women’s 68Kg category. She maintains an aggressive style of play on the mat and this fearless approach could pay dividends. While she lacks exposure to big tournament, her raw talent could turn out to be a major deciding factor in the race for a podium finish.
On the other hand, another Reliance Foundation athlete Reetika Hooda has achieved several notable firsts. She is the first Indian woman wrestler to qualify for the Olympics in the heavyweight (76kg) division, the highest weight category for women in the sport. Additionally, she is the first Indian woman to clinch the Under-23 World Championships title in her weight category. Her power and technical prowess could well prove to the difference that could lead her to the podium on her debut at the Olympics.

With such a strong contingent, the hopes and aspirations of millions of Indians rest on these talented wrestlers as they aim to continue the legacy of success at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The wrestling event begins on August 5, and goes on till August 11, the final day of the mega event in Paris.