Aman Sehrawat Secures India's First Wrestling Medal at Paris Olympics

On Friday, Aman Sehrawat delivered an outstanding performance, clinching India's first wrestling medal at the Paris Olympics. Sehrawat triumphed over Puerto Rico's Darian Toi Cruz with a score of 13-5 in the men's freestyle 57kg category, marking India's sixth medal at the ongoing Games.

The 21-year-old wrestler had a strong start, securing victories by superiority in his round of 16 and quarterfinal matches. Despite a loss to top-seed Rei Higuchi of Japan in the semifinals, Sehrawat rebounded to win the bronze medal match.

In a closely contested bout, Toi Cruz initially took the lead by forcing Sehrawat out of bounds. Sehrawat quickly responded by gaining two points through a successful leg-lock and flip. The match remained tight, with both wrestlers exchanging points, leading 4-3 in favor of Sehrawat at the thirty-second mark.

Sehrawat's momentum continued into the second half. He gained a three-point lead with a quick maneuver and capitalized on Toi Cruz's injury, which required medical attention. Sehrawat extended his lead to 10-5 and eventually won 13-5.

Sehrawat is the only male wrestler from India at the Paris Olympics and joins a distinguished list of Indian wrestlers who have won Olympic medals: KD Jadhav (1952 bronze), Sushil Kumar (2008 bronze, 2012 silver), Yogeshwar Dutt (2012 bronze), Ravi Dahiya (2020 silver), and Bajrang Punia (2020 bronze).

India's hopes for additional medals continue with Reetika Hooda, the last remaining Indian contender, set to compete in the women's freestyle 76kg event on Saturday.

In a related development, Vinesh Phogat, who was disqualified from her gold medal bout in the women's 50kg category for being overweight, has appealed the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The CAS has accepted her appeal and will hear both Vinesh and United World Wrestling (UWW) before delivering a final decision before the end of the Olympics.

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