Former Indian Olympian Yogeshwar Dutt was hopeful of at least a couple of medals from the wrestling contingent at the Paris Olympics 2024. However, Dutt was of the view that the turmoil Indian wrestling has been through in the past 12-18 months probably hampered the sport's growth in the country and potentially the preparations for the marquee event considering only one male wrestler has qualified while five women wrestlers managed to get their names in the contingent for the Olympic Games in France.
"Yes, I feel really pained with the way the last one-and-half to two years have been for Indian wrestling. The sport has passed through a really bad phase and it has severely affected the sport's growth and had a negative effect on the followers of the game here," Dutt told PTI.
Six ace Indian wrestlers including the likes of Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Mallick took to streets in 18-month long protests against ex-WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh alleging sexual harassment. With the national camps and competitions getting affected, the elections being postponed, the protests had a huge trickle-down effect on Indian wrestling and hence the players' preparation for the competition. However, Dutt was hopeful of a good show at the Olympics, especially from Antim Panghal.
"In 2004 (Athens Olympics), six free-style wrestlers qualified, after which 3, 4, 5 (male) wrestlers have made it to the Games every time. Sad that just one male wrestler, Aman Sehrawat, could qualify for Paris. But all credit to the women wrestlers, who secured five spots, which is a very good thing to happen," he added.
"See, five girls have qualified and women can win one maybe two medals," Dutt said.
"Some of them are very experienced as well. Be it Antim Panghal (the youngster who will compete in 53kg) or some other woman wrestler... so we have hope that we can win two medals. Olympics are never easy for anyone. Everyone has a dream of winning an Olympic medal. Our wrestlers have worked hard, they have some level of experience as well."
"Six wrestlers are going to Paris, out of which five are girls. We have got six medals in wrestling in the last four Olympics. We have high hopes from Antim and Reetika Hooda, the new kid. They should win because we have a tradition of winning medals since 2008."
Vinesh Phogat (50kg), Antim Panghal (53kg), Anshu Malik (57kg), Nisha Dahiya (68kg), and Reetika Hooda (76kg) and Aman Sehrawat (57kg) are the six wrestlers on whom India have pinned medal hopes.
