“This Medal is for Them”: Aman Sehrawat Honors Late Parents with Olympic Bronze

On Friday, Aman Sehrawat achieved a historic milestone by securing a bronze medal in the men’s 57kg freestyle bronze medal playoff. His victory not only marked him as the first Indian wrestler to earn a medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics but also made him the youngest Indian wrestler to win an Olympic medal. Sehrawat joins an elite group of Indian wrestlers who have achieved Olympic success, including KD Jadhav, Sushil Kumar, Yogeshwar Dutt, Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia, and Ravi Dahiya. With this win, India's medal tally at the Games increased from five to six.

Earlier Achievements in Shooting and Hockey

Before Sehrawat’s triumph, India had already earned several medals. Manu Bhaker won two bronze medals—one in a shooting mixed team event and another in the individual category. Additionally, Swapnil Kusale secured a bronze in shooting, Neeraj Chopra earned a silver in men’s javelin throw, and the men’s hockey team clinched a bronze medal.

Early Life and Career Beginnings

Born on July 16, 2003, in Birohar, Jhajjar district, Haryana, Sehrawat began his wrestling journey with mud wrestling. Motivated by Sushil Kumar’s silver medal at the 2012 Olympics, he joined the Chhatrasal Stadium in New Delhi at age 10. Tragically, he lost both parents to medical issues when he was just 11 years old.

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Rise to Prominence

Sehrawat’s rise in wrestling began with his first National Championship title in 2021, training under coach Lalit Kumar. He made history in 2022 by winning gold at the U-23 Asian Championships, becoming the first Indian to achieve this. Later, in April 2023, he earned gold at the Asian Wrestling Championships and also won bronze at the 2022 Asian Games. His dominance continued in January 2024 when he clinched gold at the Zagreb Open by defeating all his opponents with technical superiority.

Paris Olympics 2024 Journey

At the 2024 World Wrestling Olympic Qualification Tournament in Istanbul, Sehrawat secured India’s quota for the Paris Olympics. Despite competition from Tokyo 2020 silver medalist Ravi Dahiya, Sehrawat was selected to represent India as the only male wrestler qualified for Paris 2024. He began his Paris campaign with wins against Vladimir Egorov of Macedonia and Zelimkhan Abakarov of Albania through technical superiority but faced a loss to top-seed Rei Higuchi in the semifinals. He ultimately won the bronze medal by defeating Puerto Rico’s Darian Crus.

A Heartfelt Dedication

After his bronze medal win, Sehrawat dedicated his achievement to his late parents, expressing his deep personal connection to the victory. “This medal is for them,” Sehrawat said, reflecting on the fact that his parents never knew he would become a wrestler or reach the Olympics.