Three Indian wrestlers bowed out quickly, with India missing the men's freestyle spot and Sehrawat falling in the semis due to technical superiority.
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Aman Sehrawat’s attempt to secure an Olympic spot for India was thwarted in the semifinals of the Asian Wrestling Olympic Qualifiers, as he was defeated by technical superiority in the men’s 57 kg category. The competition, which took place in Kyrgyzstan, saw host country wrestlers, as well as participants from Japan and Uzbekistan, achieve Olympic quota places on that decisive Friday.
Aman Sehrawat, an accomplished wrestler with Asian and U23 world championship titles under his belt, succumbed in the semifinal round to his Uzbek opponent Gulomjon Abdullaev. During the same event, other Indian contenders faced early exits from the competition. Jaideep, wrestling in the men’s 74 kg category, was out of the tournament following a quarterfinal loss.
Similarly, Sumit’s journey ended in the quarterfinals of the men’s 125 kg division. Deepak faced an early exit as well, losing to Japan’s Arash Yoshida in the initial round. The format of the Olympic wrestling qualifying tournament is straightforward: finalists in each weight division secure quota places for their respective countries, with no matches for gold medals or repechage in play.
Sehrawat’s campaign commenced with promise in Bishkek as he delivered a stellar performance against Kazakhstan’s Yerassyl Mukhtaruly, followed by a victorious bout against South Korea’s Kim Sunggwon in the quarterfinals. Yet, his aspirations for a Paris 2024 quota were dashed in the semifinals where he was bested by Abdullaev.
Adding to the challenges faced by the Indian wrestling team, Deepak Punia and Sujeet were disqualified for missing weigh-ins, an unfortunate consequence of travel delays caused by inclement weather in Dubai. Jaideep made strides by overcoming Turkmenistan’s competitor in the qualifier, only to be narrowly defeated by Kyrgyz wrestler Orozobek Toktomambetov in the quarterfinals.
His compatriot Sumit shared a similar fate, falling in his quarterfinal to Mongolia’s Lkhagvagerel Munkhtur. Kyrgyzstan’s Ernazar Akmataliev secured his country’s second Freestyle quota for Paris 2024, while Japan’s Kotaro Kiyooka earned his nation’s third quota, setting the stage to follow in the footsteps of his compatriot, the Tokyo Olympic champion.
Concluding the event, Kyrgyzstan’s Bekzat Almaz Uulu clinched an Olympic quota in the men’s 57 kg category, showcasing his world-class ability by executing a decisive counter-takedown in the final seconds of his match. His triumph was a testament to the high level of competition at the Asian Wrestling Olympic Qualifiers and the fierce determination required to attain Olympic qualification.
At the Asian Olympic Games qualifier in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Indian female wrestlers Vinesh Phogat in the 50kg category, Anshu Malik at 57kg, and Reetika at 76kg secured three coveted spots for the Paris 2024 Olympics. This remarkable achievement occurred this past Saturday. Vinesh Phogat, a double World Championships bronze winner, took advantage of a fortuitous draw after transitioning from the 53kg to the 50kg class.
Her dominant performances earned her a slot in her third Olympic Games. She overwhelmed South Korea’s Miran Cheon with a score of 10-0 and pinned Cambodia’s Samnang Dit. In a crucial match against Kazakhstan’s rising star Laura Ganikyzy, Vinesh claimed victory with a perfect score of 10-0. During the semi-finals, Vinesh’s tactical defense coupled with her rapid counter-strikes secured her a 4-0 lead by halftime.
She eventually succeeded with 1:43 minutes to spare, a victory acknowledged with gratitude to the divine. Anshu Malik, a World Championships silver medallist, demonstrated her expertise by surpassing Kyrgyzstan’s Kalmira Bilimbek Kyzy with a score of 12-1. She then decisively overcame Asian Games bronze medallist Laylokhon Sobirova with an 11-0 score in the first segment of the semi-final, thereby clinching her second Olympic appearance.
Reetika, the World under-23 champion, displayed prowess by defeating South Korea’s Eunju Hwang 10-0, Mongolia’s World silver medallist Enkh Amar 11-0, and China’s Asian Games bronze medallist Juan Wang 9-6 in the group phase. She then triumphed over Hui Tsz Chang of Chinese Taipei with a score of 7-0 to seize her Olympic spot. However, compatriots Mansi Ahlawat at 62kg, and Nisha Dahiya at 68kg did not advance. Ahlawat was bested by North Korea’s Hyon Gyong Mun with a 6-0 scoreline in the semi-finals, while Dahiya did not reach the last four.
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