Indian Wrestlers’ Path to Paris: Qualification and Selection Process

India has secured six spots for the Paris Olympics, with Aman Sehrawat (57kg) being the only male wrestler from the country set to compete. The Wrestling Federation of India has announced that they will not hold selection trials for the Paris Olympics.

This decision was made after five wrestlers requested no trials to focus on their preparations. As a result, wrestlers like Ravi Dahiya, who missed the Olympics quota, won’t have another chance. Dahiya, recovering from a knee injury, lost to Aman Sehrawat in the trials for the Olympic qualification events.

The six Indian wrestlers who will compete in Paris are Vinesh Phogat (50kg), Antim Panghal (53kg), Anshu Malik (57kg), Nisha Dahiya (68kg), and Reetika Hooda (76kg) in the women’s categories, with Aman Sehrawat (57kg) as the only male wrestler.

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Here’s how the Indian wrestlers secured their Olympic quotas:

During the Asian Wrestling Olympics Qualifiers in the women’s 50kg category, Vinesh Phogat won against Miran Cheon from South Korea, who had previously won a bronze medal at the Asian Championships. Vinesh won the match 10-0 with technical superiority.

Anshu Malik earned her quota in the women’s 57kg category at the same event by beating Kyrgyzstan’s Kalmira Bilimbek Kyzy 12-1 in the quarter-finals and then winning 11-0 by technical superiority over Uzbekistan’s Laylokhon Sobirova in the semi-finals.

Reetika Hooda, the U23 world champion, defeated competitors from South Korea, Mongolia, and China to reach the semi-finals of the women’s 76kg category at the Asian Wrestling Olympic Qualifiers. She then secured her spot for India by beating Chinese Taipei’s Hui Tsz Chang 7-0 in the quota bout.

Nisha Dahiya earned the Paris 2024 quota in the women’s freestyle 68kg category at the World Wrestling Olympic Qualifiers in Istanbul. Antim Panghal claimed an Olympic quota for India in the women’s 53kg category by winning a bronze medal at the World Championships last year.

Aman Sehrawat, the lone male wrestler, secured his spot in the men’s 57kg freestyle category at the World Wrestling Olympics Qualifiers in Istanbul, Turkey. Sehrawat, a U23 world champion, defeated Chongsong Han of North Korea 12-2 in the semi-final, securing India’s sixth wrestling quota for the Paris 2024 Olympics.