India will be looking to carry on the wrestling success of the Tokyo Olympics when the grapplers step onto the mat for the Olympic Games in Paris. India has sent a 117-athlete contingent for the Summer Games with six wrestlers part of it.
The poster girl for the Indian wrestling squad will be Vinesh Phogat, who has moved down the weight category to 50kg for the Games as another wrestler - Antim Panghal has qualified at 53kg.
She will be facing a challenge to first make the weight cut and then face strong opponents in her bid to a medal. Vinesh is coming off a morale-boosting Gold medal win over Pan-American champion and Paris qualifier Yusneylis Guzman of Cuba at the Grand Prix of Spain. She is the most experienced wrestler.
Then there will be Antim Panghal, a 19-year-old, youngest wrestler of the squad. Antim is the first Indian woman to win a Gold medal at the Junior World Championships in 2022. There is Reetika Hooda, who is the U23 World Champion and has become the first Indian woman to qualify for the Paris Games in 76kg category.
India TV had an exclusive interview with Reetika, who opened up on her preparations for the Games and said that she is targeting to bring a Gold medal home. "Me, my coach and my family want me to perform better than what I have done in my previous competitions so that I can win Gold at the Paris Games," Reetika said to India TV.
"76kg is a heavyweight category and it is difficult for India to qualify for it. Athletes are fit and stronger in this weight division around the world. God heard my prayers, so I have qualified for it."
So what will she do if she manages to win a medal at the upcoming Games? Reetika says she will go and hand over the medal to her family and her coach as they are the reason behind her journey this far. "If I bring a medal, I would go to my coach and my family and hand them that. Then I will go the temples to thank the God," she added.
India wrestling squad for Paris Olympics:
Antim Panghal: women's 53kg, Vinesh Phogat: women's 50kg, Anshu Malik: women's 57kg, Nisha: women's 68kg, Reetika Hooda: women's 76kg and Aman Sehrawat: men's 57kg
