Zagreb Open Ranking Series: The 2012 Rio Olympics bronze medalist wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt is confident that Indian will win two or more than two medals in wrestling.
India has secured six quotas for the Paris Olympics in different categories. Vinesh Phogat (women’s 50kg), Anshu Malik (women’s 57kg), Nisha Dahiya (women’s 68kg), Reetika Hooda (women’s 76kg), Antim Panghal (women’s 53kg) and Aman Sehrawat (men’s 57kg).
“We can win two or three medals in wrestling alone. Wrestling has brought medals for India from the last four Olympics events, so this time too Indian wrestlers will perform well in the Olympics,” said Yogeshwar Dutt to IANS on the back of ‘Glory of Five Rings’ event.
“Aman is the only men’s wrestler and I am very hopeful that he will bring the medal in the category. We have five women’s wrestlers too, out of which I expect three medals,” he added.
Antim Panghal and Aman Sehrawat have been seeded fourth and sixth in their respective weight categories at the upcoming 2024 Olympics Games in Paris, starting on July 26.
For the first time ever at the Olympics, there will be seedings with the top eight wrestlers in each weight class getting the opportunity. The two-time Olympian and country’s medal prospect Vinesh Phogat will be unseeded in the women’s 50kg freestyle category at Paris 2024.
Seedings were awarded based on the Wrestlers’ performances at the 2023 World Championships, 2024 Continental Championships, 2024 Zagreb Open Ranking Series, and the 2024 Hungarian Ranking Series.
Earlier, the seven-member selection committee decided not to hold any trials for the Paris Olympics, as several quota wrestlers protested against it. When asked about WFI’s decision on not to conducting trials Dutt said that there is no need of national trails of a player who has secured quota.
“I believe there is no need for trials if a particular player has already secured a quota for the event. The rule is quite old and it should continue like that. Sushil Kumar qualified for three Olympic events through quota and I qualified for four Olympics events through quota, so there is no need for trials,” he said.
With her seeding, Antim will not face her rival and two-time world champion Akari Fujinami of Japan, Qianyu Pang of the People’s Republic of China, who won silver in Tokyo 2020, and Emma Malmgren of Sweden, who won two European titles, until the medal rounds.
However, she could meet Ecuador’s Lucia Yepez, the World Championships bronze medal winner from last year, in the semifinals.
Meanwhile, Aman, the 2023 Asian champion and the 2022 Under-23 world champion, could play Japan’s Rei Higuchi or Armenia’s Arsen Harutyunyan before the medal round begins.
Higuchi is a Rio 2016 silver medallist and the 2022 world champion. Aman lost to him at the Hungarian Ranking Series in June while Arsen Harutyunyan won bronze at the 2023 World Championships.
The remaining four Indian wrestlers will be unseeded at Paris 2024. They will be randomly drawn into brackets the day before the women’s freestyle wrestling begins in Paris
Higuchi is a Rio 2016 silver medallist and the 2022 world champion. Aman lost to him at the Hungarian Ranking Series in June while Arsen Harutyunyan won bronze at the 2023 World Championships.
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“My advise to all the wrestlers that leave the pressure outside the mat and perform at your ability,” Dutt concluded.
