Aman Sehrawat made history by becoming India’s youngest Olympic medalist, winning bronze in the 57kg freestyle wrestling event in the Paris Olympics 2024.
On Friday, Aman defeated Puerto Rico’s Darian Cruz in the bronze medal match, giving India its first medal in wrestling at the Olympics this year. In an interview with NDTV, Aman spoke openly about what the medal meant to him, saying that while his aim was to win gold, this medal will push him to do well in 2028.
‘I came with the dream of earning a medal here’: Aman Sehrawat
“I came with the goal of earning a medal in the Olympics. I wanted to win gold, but everything happens for good. Next time, I’ll be more prepared. This was a huge boost for me, and I now believe I will do well in the 2028 Olympics,” Aman told NDTV after winning the bronze medal.
Also read: Who is Aman Sehrawat? India’s wrestler who won bronze medal at Paris 2024
‘Could not sleep all night to lose weight’
After losing against Japan’s Rei Higuchi in the semifinals, Aman was overweight and needed to lose weight before the weigh-in. The wrestler stated that he worked on his weight all night and did not sleep at all as his coaches put him through repeated training sessions.
“We did a lot to shed that weight. Following the match, I practiced for two hours. Then, about 1 a.m., I trained at the gym. I was a little tired by 3. But I didn’t sleep at all. The primary goal was to keep the weight within the allowed limit. “I didn’t sleep at all before the fight,” he explained.
Vinesh Phogat had earlier disqualified for being overweight
Vinesh Phogat had earlier qualified for the 50kg wrestling final, but she was disqualified from the gold medal match due to being overweight. After being contested in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the hearing has completed, and a verdict is due by Sunday evening.
