Aman Sehrawat cuts a lonely figure in the Indian wrestling camp as he is the only male wrestler to qualify for the Paris Olympics 2024 from this nation. The Indian grappler put on one of the performance of these Games as he completely dominated a former world champion Zelimkhan Abakarov, winning 12-0 by technical superiority.
In one single move at the start of second round, Aman completely annihilated Abakarov by notching up 10 points with multiple roll-overs. The former champion was left stunned and challenged the move which was to no avail as Indian was declared winner with 12-0 margin – his second successive technical superiority win of the day.
Aman will now take on Japanese wrestler Rei Higuchi in the semifinal and win in this contest will finally assure India of a wrestling medal at these Olympics. Higuchi is a 2016 Rio Olympics silver medallist and a 2022 World Champion in 61kg category and 2023 World Championship silver medallist in the 57kg category.
India will hope that Aman Sehrawat can continue his golden run on Olympics debut so far and book his place in the final just like Vinesh Phogat before him managed to do before her disqualification.
! A massive performance from Aman Sehrawat to win his quarter-final bout against Zelimkhan Abakarov to advance to the semi-final.
Final score: Aman 12 – 0 Zelimkhan
He will next take on 1st seed, Rei… pic.twitter.com/j5C2VOofEK
— India at Paris 2024 Olympics (@sportwalkmedia) August 8, 2024
Earlier, the young Indian grappler Sehrawat ensured himself an easy passage into the quarterfinal with a dominant show against North Macedonia’s Vladimir Egorov in the 57kg freestyle category opener. The 21-year-old Indian, an Asian Championship gold medallist and the only male wrestler from the country to qualify for the Paris Olympics, was superbly agile as he kept his defence intact while regularly overpowering his 29-year-old former European champion with leg holds to win the bout on technical superiority (10-0).
Egorov seemed to be in a bit of bother after the first round, requiring medical attention on his knee following Sehrawat’s all-out attack as the Indian went up 6-0. But the Macedonian could not stage a comeback with Aman effecting a takedown to earn two more points and go 10-0 up with more than two minutes remaining on the clock.
Meanwhile, the other Indian grappler Anshu Malik displayed great determination but could not breach the defence of USA’s experienced Helen Louise Maroulis, losing 2-7 in the 57kg pre-quarterfinals. It was a rematch of the 2021 World Championship final in Oslo where Anshu had to settle for silver against the American.
Anshu’s hopes of qualifying for the bronze-medal bout now hinge on ‘repechage’ provided Helen, the 2016 Rio Olympics gold medallist and Tokyo Games bronze medallist, reaches the final.
