Aman Sehrawat Cruzes to wrestling bronze

Rohit Mahajan in Paris

Aman Sehrawat, 21 years old, the future of wrestling, did what was expected of him today — he crushed Puerto Rico’s Darian Toi Cruz 13-5 to earn India’s fifth bronze of the Paris Olympics, the sixth medal overall.

The night before, however, there was fear in the Indian camp — Sehrawat’s weight had shot up to 62 kg through the day’s three bouts, 5 kg above the limit of his weight class. “I had to lose five kilos,” said Sehrawat, blood on his face and sweat on his body, moments after his win. “I didn’t sleep the whole night... I practised at night, too! In the morning, I was within the 57 kg limit!” Sehrawat, the only man in the Indian squad, was unfazed by Cruz’s early attacks. The Puerto Rican grabbing his left leg; Sehrawat defended valiantly but conceded a point through a push-out. Cruz again went for his legs, but now Sehrawat got hold of him and got two points — the Indian 2-1 up!

Cruz wasn’t giving up, though; he grabbed Sehrawat’s legs and twisted him — two points. Sehrawat still had power and the strength of mind — he pushed Cruz out, and got two more points by taking him down. Another takedown, another two points, and he led 6-3 at the hooter.

The second period was packed with action but less frenetic — Cruz seemed to be losing energy, Sehrawat drawing it from him. After some good defence by the Puerto Rican, Sehrawat powered into him — another takedown, two more points, and the Jhajjar lad was in control at 8-5. Desperate, Cruz had no option but to go for the Indian’s legs and paid for the desperation — more points for Sehrawat, and a medal was a certainty at 13-5.

At the end of it all, there was a bleeding wound on Sehrawat’s face, but pride in his eyes. Orphaned at 11, finding a second home at Delhi’s Chhatrasal Stadium, the farmer’s son from Jhajjar did what his idol Ravi Dahiya did at Tokyo 2020 — a medal in his very first Olympic Games.