India’s wrestling performance at the Paris Olympic Games has been underwhelming, with only one bronze medal to show for their efforts. Aman Sehrawat’s bronze in his maiden Olympic appearance is the lone bright spot, but the overall performance has been deemed ordinary by many.
The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief, Sanjay Singh, attributes the lackluster showing to the protests that Indian wrestlers staged for over a year. The protests, sparked by allegations against former wrestling body chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, disrupted the wrestlers’ training and preparation.
“The protests that took place for 14-15 months disturbed the entire wrestling fraternity,” Singh told India Today. “The wrestlers in other categories struggled as they could not practice without national and international tournaments.”
Apart from Sehrawat and Vinesh Phogat, who impressed in Paris, other wrestlers like Anshu Malik, Reetika Hooda, Nisha Dahiya, and Antim Panghal failed to make an impact.
Phogat, who was disqualified from the final for exceeding the weight limit, is still awaiting a verdict from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on her plea for a silver medal. CAS has established an ad hoc division in Paris to handle Olympic cases, and a decision is expected by August 16.
Phogat’s disqualification was a major disappointment for India, as she was a strong contender for gold. She had reached the final by defeating Cuba’s Yusneylis Guzman Lopez 5-0 in the semi-finals.
The 29-year-old Phogat announced her retirement from wrestling after her disqualification. Her departure is a significant loss for Indian wrestling, as she has been one of the country’s most successful wrestlers in recent years.
