New Delhi: Getting your picture on the dank walls of the wrestling hall in the capital’s Chhatrasal Stadium is an aspirational legacy. It’s an honour extended to Olympic medallists who have honed their skills here, which means Sushil Kumar and Ravi Dahiya are right up there, poring over the lithe, sweaty bodies going through the grind on the mat below.
When Aman Sehrawat returned to his alma mater after winning bronze at the Paris Olympics last August, he decided to delay the di rigueur. “I want a picture with the President of India,” he is learned to have said, indicating his desire for the Arjuna award.
On Thursday, his wish came true with Aman becoming the only wrestler to get a national sports award in the 2024 iteration. A total of 32 para and able-bodied athletes will receive Arjuna for their performance over the past four years while another four will be bestowed with Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award.
“It is a great feeling. As a kid, I sometimes dreamt of dressing up in a nice suit and get awarded by the president. Kaha se aye thy or kaha pahuch gaye,” he said. The 21-year-old has indeed come a long way from his native Birohar village in Haryana to become the present and future of Indian wrestling. His picture will, without doubt, soon go up in Chhatrasal, but the sharp spike in his status within these dusty, sweaty confines has been evident since the night he made the podium in Paris.
His training sessions are watched by awestruck teenagers, he smiles often, speaks often, and moves around with a quiet swagger, casually acknowledging the boys who bow to him or request him for selfies. Back in 2021, he had watched Ravi grow into an overnight star in the very same hall, and had vowed to “do something to deserve that love.”
“The magnitude of winning an Olympic medal truly hit home when I returned. So many functions, so much felicitation, going to Kaun Banega Crorepati…my life changed in an instant. People say I speak a lot more. Is it true? It may have something to do with the confidence that an Olympic medal brings,” he says, lounging in his plush ‘meeting room’ that his coach Lalit Kumar has carved within the stadium.
The room has shelves that carry some of Aman’s trophies and upholstery that bear his name along with number 57, his weight category. And, of course, there are the ubiquitous Olympic rings — on the cushions and on the windscreen of his new SUV.
Aman took a three-month break post Paris, thanks to the ceaseless events that he had to attend. He resumed mat training in November and is back from a month-long stint at Japan’s Nippon Sports Science University, a trip he describes as an “eye opener.” The 21-year-old had some intense sessions with Hangzhou Asian Games bronze medallist Kaiki Yamaguchi and Paris gold medallist Rei Higuchi, and has returned mesmerised.
“Their speed and techniques are amazing. I was beaten by a Japanese (Toshihiro Hasegawa) at the Asian Games and then again in Paris (Higuchi). So, I wanted to see their training methods,” he said.
Mentored largely by Yamaguchi, Aman also had a rather revealing session with Higuchi who broke down their Paris semi-final that the Japanese had won 10-0 in a little over two minutes.
“He told me I was opening my arms too much which allowed him to come in. Once in, he was able to attack my legs at will,” he said.
Compared to strength and endurance, building speed requires significant tactical, technical, and training tweaks. While it’s common for Indian wrestlers to train for 4-6 rounds to enhance stamina, the Japanese, Aman noted, train in explosive 60-90 second rounds to get pacier.
“Our methods are excellent for higher weights but the key to win in 57kg or 65 kg is speed. Aman is still better than a lot of Indians because he switched to mat (from mud wrestling) very early. His endurance is unbeatable; very rarely does he lose a bout that goes full six minutes. We are gradually making some changes to his training to improve his speed. We’ll introduce him to high-intensity interval training. There’s still time for LA,” Lalit said.
For Aman, the countdown to LA has started. His room will soon be adorned with pictures of the gold medal for LA Games, like he did for Paris. “The expectations will increase manifold now. I want to continue in 57kg till LA and come home with a gold medal,” he said.
