With a dominant performance on Friday, Aman Sehrawat upheld the tradition of the Chhatrasal stadium and earned India’s first wrestling medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. In the bronze play-off at Champ de Mars Arena, the 21-year-old wrestler from the renowned Chhatrasal Stadium—who lost both of his parents when he was just 11 years old—overcame Darian Toi Cruz, 13-5. At 21 years, 0 months, and 24 days, Sehrawat became the youngest-ever individual Olympic medallist from India with his victory over the Puerto Rican wrestler.
The youthful wrestler surpassed the mark held by PV Sindhu, who won silver in the 2016 Rio Olympics at the age of 21 years, 1 month, and 14 days. As a memorial to his parents’ aspirations for him, Aman dedicated his bronze medal to them as well as to the country. “My parents always wanted me to be a wrestler. They didn’t know anything about the Olympics, but they wanted me to be a wrestler,” he said, his voice filled with emotion.
The 11-year-old orphan had a hole in his heart that the wrestling mat was the only thing that could fill. Before his untimely death in 2013, Aman’s father had enrolled him at the Chhatrasal Stadium, unintentionally starting his son on the path to Olympic glory. Aman found purpose and a feeling of belonging at the stadium, which had already produced four Olympic medallists: Sushil Kumar, Yogeshwar Dutt, Bajrang Punia, and Ravi Dahiya. This stadium became his second home.
He was profoundly impacted by training with these champions, especially Sushil Kumar’s work ethic. But Aman connected with Ravi Dahiya the most out of everyone. Like Aman, Ravi had come to Chhatrasal as a young boy and rose through the ranks before claiming a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
The year 2022 marked a turning point in Aman’s career. As a teenager, he made a successful transition to the senior circuit, winning a bronze at the Asian U20 Championship and gold at the Asian U23 Championships. His crowning achievement came later that year when he won gold at the World U23 Championships—a feat that even his illustrious seniors, Bajrang and Ravi, had not accomplished.
From mastering the basics in the same sandpits and foam mats as his illustrious predecessors, he quickly rose to dominate age-group competitions. His early achievements, including medals at the World Cadet level and the Asian Cadets, were a prelude to his spectacular transition to the senior circuit. The year 2022 was particularly significant, as Aman won gold at the World U23 Championships, an achievement that even his seniors Bajrang and Ravi had not managed.
Arriving in Paris as India’s sole male wrestler, the pressure on Aman was immense. Yet, he delivered a commanding performance, defeating Puerto Rican Darian Toi Cruz 13-5 in the bronze play-off at the Champ de Mars Arena. Aman’s unwavering approach and strategic acumen secured his spot on the Olympic podium even though he had a bleeding nose. His triumph continued India’s history, begun by Sushil Kumar, of taking home wrestling medals at every Olympics since 2008.
India is getting closer to matching its record seven medals from the Tokyo Olympics thanks to Aman’s bronze, which also represented the nation’s sixth medal in the Paris Games. As the youngest Olympic medallist from India, Aman Sehrawat brings with him the aspirations of countless young wrestlers who look up to him as an example of what can be achieved through perseverance, hard work, and the unwavering conviction that one’s circumstances do not determine one’s fate.
