Published 13:10 IST, July 16th 2024
Paris Olympics: How Have Olympic-Bound Indian Wrestlers Performed In Last 4 Years
At the Paris Olympics, all eyes would be on Antim Panghal, Vinesh Phogat, Anshu Malik, Reetika Hooda, Nisha Dahiya, and Aman Sehrawat.
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The countdown to the Paris Olympics has officially begun and in the build-up to the start, republicworld.com is factoring in all the Indian athletes from every discipline. It is the turn of wrestlers this time. Wrestling has proven to be sport which always fetches success for India. It was Ravi Dahiya and Bajrang Punia who secured a podium finish in the Tokyo Olympics. This time, all eyes would be on Antim Panghal, Vinesh Phogat, Anshu Malik, Reetika Hooda, Nisha Dahiya, and Aman Sehrawat.
In order to contemplate the medal potentials from Wrestling, let's take a look at how they have fared in the last four years.
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Also Read | Who Is Carrying The Olympic Torch Through Paris?
Aman Sehrawat
He is a young bright medal potential for India and interestingly the lone male from India to have qualified for the Paris Olympics. He won his first national championship title in 2021. He won the Gold Medal in men's 57 kg category at the Zagreb Open in 2024. He won Gold in the Asian Championship in 2023 in Astana. He won Gold at Almaty 2024 in 57 KG category. He has brought a medal in almost all the competitions he has participated in, and it would be a giant leap for the 23-year-old if he manages to win a medal at the Paris Olympics.
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Nisha Dahiya
Nisha Dahiya won a Bronze medal at the World Under-23 Championships in 2021. She recently won a Silver medal in Asian Championships in 2023. She has competed in 65 and 68 Kgs category for India.
Reetika Hooda
Reetika Hooda, hailing from Rohtak, Haryana, is an accomplished Indian wrestler. She clinched a bronze medal in the women's 72 kg category at the 2023 Ibrahim Moustafa Wrestling Ranking Series held in Egypt. Additionally, she secured another bronze medal at the 2023 Asian Wrestling Championships.
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Her prowess continued as she participated in the 2024 Asian Wrestling Olympic Qualification Tournament in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. During this event, Reetika's outstanding performance earned India a quota place for the 2024 Summer Olympics scheduled in Paris, France.
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Anshu Malik
Anshu Malik has had a remarkable wrestling career marked by significant achievements. She first made headlines by winning gold in the 60 kg category of the Cadet Wrestling Championships.
In 2020, Anshu clinched a bronze medal in the 57 kg event at the Asian Wrestling Championships held in New Delhi, India. That same year, she secured a silver medal in the women's 57 kg event at the Individual Wrestling World Cup in Belgrade, Serbia. Continuing her success, Anshu, alongside her Indian teammates Vinesh Phogat and Divya Kakran, won gold at the Asian Wrestling Championships in 2021.
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In April 2022, Anshu added another bronze medal to her collection in the 57 kg event at the Asian Wrestling Championships held in Ulaanbaatar.
At the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, she showcased her prowess by winning the silver medal in the women's 57 kg freestyle final.
Vinesh Phogat
Despite not competing much in the last four years, Vinesh Phogat may enter as one of India's top bets for a podium finish. She clinched the gold medal in the women's 53 kg category at the 2022 Commonwealth Games hosted in Birmingham, England. Additionally, she earned a bronze medal in the same weight category at the 2022 World Wrestling Championships held in Belgrade, Serbia.
Antim Panghal
In a short span, the 19-year-old Antim Panghal has formed a decorated career. From junior championships to world championships, she has won medals everywhere. She won Bronze in the 53kg category in Belgrade World Championship in 2023. She could emerge as one of the premier contenders from India to bring a medal in Wrestling.
13:10 IST, July 16th 2024