India’s Olympic Wrestling Hopes Crushed in Asian Qualifiers
India’s hopes of securing an Olympic quota in men’s wrestling at the Asian Qualifiers in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, were dashed after Aman Sehrawat, the lone Indian to reach the semi-finals, was pinned by Uzbekistan’s Gulomjon Abdullaev in the 57kg freestyle category.
Sehrawat, the reigning Asian champion, had a promising start, defeating Kazakhstan’s Yerassyl Mukhtaruly and South Korea’s Sunggwon Kim in the earlier rounds. However, Abdullaev proved to be an insurmountable obstacle.
The Uzbek wrestler, known for his aggressive style, attacked Sehrawat’s right leg early on and executed a single-leg takedown. He then threatened to run away with the bout by grabbing both of Sehrawat’s legs. Despite Sehrawat’s attempts to ward off the attack, Abdullaev secured a four-point duckunder.
Sehrawat’s coach, Lalit Kumar, attributed the loss to Abdullaev’s superior experience and aggressive tactics. “Abdullaev was the only real challenger that Aman had,” Kumar said. “He has always had a measure of Indians.”
Sehrawat’s plan was to take the bout to the second period, where Abdullaev’s energy levels typically decline. However, the Indian wrestler was unable to recover from Abdullaev’s early attacks.
Kumar also noted that Sehrawat was carrying a niggle in his groin and hamstring, which may have affected his performance.
The defeat leaves India with no Olympic quotas from the Asian Qualifiers. The team will now have to rely on the World Qualifiers in May for their final chance to secure a spot at the Paris Games.
