Indian wrestling in 2024: Some see a beacon of hope, others a smokescreen

Unless the issues with the WFI are dealt with, any results at the Paris Olympics will only be papering over the underlying chaos.

Optimistic start: Aman Sehrawat became the first Indian wrestler to win a medal in 2024 as he bagged the top honour at the Zagreb Open. The Under-23 world champion beat China’s Zou Wanhao for the title in the 57kg category. | Photo Credit: United World Wrestling

Indian wrestling had a disappointing season in 2023 and is looking to bounce back in the Olympic year. The sport had hoped to capitalise on the two medals won in Tokyo—a silver for Ravi Dahiya and a bronze for Bajrang Punia—but the preparations for the Paris Games have been far from ideal. Although there were some excellent performances on the mat last season, most of the news was unfortunately dominated by off-field controversies.

A significant undercurrent of athlete protests permeated the wrestling landscape throughout 2023. Esteemed wrestlers like four-time World medallist Bajrang, two-time World medallist Vinesh Phogat, and the sole Indian women’s wrestling Olympic medallist Sakshi Malik took to the streets, levelling serious allegations of sexual misconduct against the then Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. The Ministry of Sports eventually suspended the federation, and despite a subsequent re-election in December, another ban followed shortly, leaving the sport in limbo.

The suspension of the federation has cast a shadow over Indian wrestling, halting national championships and disrupting the crucial talent pipeline. While athletes are still being sent for international competition, this is being done based on their performance in past years. The hope for the 2024 season hinges on the resumption of national sporting activities.

Despite the chaos in the Indian administration, Indian wrestlers have managed to achieve great results. Although there was no gold medal at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, unlike the 2018 edition in Indonesia, where Bajrang and Vinesh both finished on top of the podium, India had more success in the age group events compared to recent years. In August last year, India won four gold medals at the Junior World Championships. Antim Panghal, who became the first Indian woman to take gold at the Junior Worlds in the previous year, replicated her achievement in Amman, Jordan. At the U-23 World Championships that followed in October, Reetika Hooda became the first Indian woman to claim gold, winning the 76kg title.

Antim was not content with just performing well at the junior level. At the senior world championship held later that year, she won a bronze medal on her debut. At only 19, she became the youngest Indian woman and the second-youngest overall to win a medal at the World Championships. Antim could have potentially competed for the gold medal in Belgrade, as she was leading 4-3 before her opponent Vanesa Kaladzinskaya scored off an exposure with the final move of the match. Antim was devastated by the result, but the bronze medal not only secured an Olympic quota for India but also established her as one of the most promising young wrestlers in the country.

Antim’s last-second turn of fortune could potentially cost her more than just a world medal of a brighter colour. While a world medallist in any other weight category at a pre-Olympic World Championship might be considered the favourite to travel to the Games, Antim might not have as smooth a path to Paris.

Troubling times: In 2023, esteemed wrestlers like three-time World medallist Bajrang, two-time World medallist Vinesh Phogat, and the sole women’s wrestling world champion Sakshi Malik took to the streets, levelling serious allegations of sexual misconduct against the then WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. | Photo Credit: R. V. MOORTHY

According to the rules laid out by the (now suspended) WFI, only a gold or silver medallist at the World Championship can travel directly to the Olympic Games.

Antim now faces a selection trial to secure her spot, and with seasoned wrestler Vinesh also making a comeback after a year of absence due to knee surgery, the competition for an Olympic berth promises to be intense, adding a layer of complexity to India’s wrestling preparations for Paris. Vinesh has returned to training. Although she is unlikely to be anywhere near her best, she has a wealth of experience and has beaten Antim on the two occasions they have wrestled previously. But Vinesh seems to have been bogged down by the demanding year-long protest. It’s not just her; Sakshi, the 2016 Olympic hero, has already announced her retirement.

At the Asian Games, Bajrang lost in the semis and was beaten 10-0 in the bronze medal playoff. He appears to be a mere shadow of his former self, and there are doubts as to whether he will even make it past the selection trials for the Indians, let alone earn an Olympic quota in the two qualifying tournaments (the Asian Olympic qualification tournament in April and the World Qualification tournament in May).

It isn’t just the protesting wrestlers who are struggling. Anshu Malik, who had a breakout season in 2021 when she qualified for the Olympics as a 19-year-old and then won silver in the women’s 57kg category at the world championships, is going through a poor run of form. At the selection trials to pick the team for the 2023 World Championships, Anshu lost in the very first round.

Deepak Punia, who narrowly lost out in his bronze medal match in Tokyo, is also nowhere close to the form that saw him win gold at the junior worlds, followed by a silver at the senior world championships in 2019. Ravi Dahiya, who won a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics, is also uncertain for the Paris Games. Ravi was himself eliminated early in the selection trials for the World Championships and subsequently underwent knee surgery that kept him out of the Hangzhou Asian Games.

In Ravi’s absence, the spot on the Indian roster in the 57kg category has been claimed by Aman Sehrawat, who trains alongside him at New Delhi’s Chhatrasal stadium.

Aman won gold at last year’s Asian Championships and only suffered a narrow loss in the semifinals of the Asian Games. Although Aman hasn’t qualified for the Olympics after losing early at the World Championships in 2023, he will back himself to do so. This, of course, is premised on Aman beating Ravi at the selection trials that will be held early in 2024. In Aman’s favour is the fact that he is in top form, winning the Zagreb ranking series, the first tournament in the international wrestling calendar for 2024. Ravi, though, has never lost to Aman and will believe he has it in him to add to his Olympic medal tally.

With a couple of world-class contenders still in the mix, Indian wrestling can return with a respectable performance in Paris. However, unless the issues with the federation are dealt with, any results will only be papering over the underlying chaos.