On The Mats of Despair for India, Aman Sehrawat Brings Glee of a Wrestling Medal

This win carries fervent meaning for the young Indian grappler, far beyond the Olympic medal draped around his neck.

"IF IT WAS EASY EVERYONE WOULD DO IT" —  blazes in all caps on the wall of Aman Sehrawat’s room at the Chhatrasal Stadium in New Delhi. Flanking this mantra, the tricolour is pinned on the left. Just below, an A4-sized image of a gold medal glimmers, while the Olympic rings hover above.

Together, these elements vividly encapsulate the dream that drives the young grappler from Haryana.

On Friday, at Champ-de-Mars Arena, Aman Sehrawat became the youngest Indian to win an Olympic medal at 21 years 0 months and 24 days. In the men's freestyle 57 kg bronze medal match, he secured a commanding 13-5 victory over Puerto Rico's Darian Toi Cruz.

With a bruised nose and a steely resolve, Aman’s first words after the win were a mix of determination and humility: “I came here hoping to win gold, but I’ll have to settle for bronze this time. My goal for the 2028 Olympics is to win that gold medal.”

The Night Before

Ever since he entered the world of wrestling, his routine was regimented: early to bed and up at the crack of dawn. Yet, the night before spotlight was to fall on him, on the grandest stage of all, sleep eluded him.  

“I haven’t slept for two days, constantly thinking about the bout…how I would fight and what strategies I would use. I couldn’t even close my eyes last night; every time I lay down, I just thought about wrestling. I would get up and walk outside my room. I kept thinking about the bout and it played out just as I had imagined,” Aman would reveal.

Was it the weight of competing for a medal at his first Olympics that kept him awake, or perhaps the added pressure of stepping into the role of national hope while the country was still reeling from Vinesh Phogat’s disqualification? Regardless, the stakes were high.

But when it mattered the most, Sehrawat delivered. Albeit, he conceded the first point by stepping out of bounds, he rallied with resolve, overcoming a brief 2-3 deficit to secure a 6-3 lead by the end of the first round.

In the second round, his relentless aggression and strategic brilliance overwhelmed his Puerto Rican opponent. Dominating the mat through and through, Sehrawat never relinquished his lead. And by the end of the sixth minute, the Indian grappler clinched a decisive 13-5 victory.

Overcoming Adversity, Aman Climbed the Ranks

This victory carries fervent meaning for the young Indian grappler, far beyond the Olympic medal draped around his neck. At just 10 years old, Aman lost his mother. A year later, his father passed away. By age 11, he was an orphan.

When he arrived at the renowned North Delhi akhada—the very academy that moulded Olympics medalists like Sushil Kumar, Yogeshwar Dutt, Ravi Dahiya and Bajrang Punia—no one could have predicted the extraordinary future that awaited him. With nowhere else to turn, Aman found solace in wrestling.

The first reward for Aman's relentless dedication came in 2018 when he won a bronze medal at the World Cadet Championship, followed by an Asian title in the same age group. In 2021, he claimed his first National Championship title. Since then, Aman's career has soared. In 2022, he earned a bronze in the 57kg category at the Asian Games, followed by a gold at the 2023 Asian Wrestling Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan. In the lead-up to the Summer Games, he clinched another gold at the Zagreb Open wrestling tournament.

Now, a decade after being introduced to the rugged, gritty world of akhadas, the boy who once faced insurmountable personal challenges has lifted the spirits of an entire nation, standing tall and proud on the Olympic podium.

“I would like to dedicate this medal to my parents and the people of India,” he said, even though they never knew their son had become a wrestler.

With a bronze medal in hand and a sparkle in his eye, Aman’s Paris journey has come to a close. Yet, the moment he stepped off the mat, the perpetual quest of an Olympic gold had already begun for India’s youngest medalist at the Games.

Four years may seem like a long road ahead, but with Aman Sehrawat’s warrior spirit and unyielding hunger, that thirst for gold is bound to be satisfied. For now, though, he can rest easy and sleep soundly, knowing he’s reignited joy in the hearts of millions of Indians.