High expectations from Indian wrestlers in Paris

New Delhi: Indian wrestlers have delivered a medal every single time at the Olympics since the 2008 Beijing edition. Success in four consecutive editions has enhanced the status of wrestling as a prime Olympic sport in the country. There was success at junior level too. The sport also produced U23 world champions. It raised hopes of big success in Paris. It was Sushil Kumar who changed the way wrestling was perceived in the country by winning a bronze in 2008. He bettered his medal four years later in the London Games, where he fetched a silver.

Yogeshwar Dutt also won a bronze in the British capital. Sakshi Malik carried forward the trend by bagging a bronze in Rio in 2016 and Ravi Dahiya and Bajrang Punia made it a double delight in the delayed Tokyo Games (2021).

However, the sport which was soaring high and was expected to reach even greater heights, was brought down to earth by the prolonged protests against then Wrestling Federation of India chief by the country's elite wrestlers. National camps and domestic competitions came to a halt. Confusion prevailed. No one knew how or when normalcy would return. There were allegations and counter-arguments. WFI elections were held and the national body got suspended but finally when UWW lifted its suspension, things began moving. Only one male and five female wrestlers qualified for the upcoming edition. There is hope, but doubts too. PTI takes a look at the strength and weakness of all the six contenders. With his steady progress, Aman did what was unthinkable: replacing Olympic silver medallist Ravi Dahiya, the most formidable Indian wrestler, in the men's 57kg weight division. Aman's biggest strength is his stamina and endurance. If the bout lasts six minutes, it will be difficult to beat him. However, what is lacking in his game is limited strategy and technique. It was evident when he was pitted against Rei Higuchi in the Ranking Series event in Hungary. He did not seem to have a plan B. At this stage, planning against each rival is key. His biggest threats are Higuchi and Uzbekistan's Gulomjon Abdullaev.

Without doubt, Vinesh Phogat is one the best women wrestlers that India has produced. A solid defence and equally impressive attack are her strengths. However, what could trouble her is lack of quality mat time against top wrestlers in the last year or so.

Lowering the weight class to 50kg means more stress on her body. Cutting the weight cut ahead of the bout is a painful process, it sucks the energy out of the body and hers is an aging body. She is almost 30. Her natural body weight is about 55-56kg. Much would depend on how Vinesh copes with it.

In the recent Grand Prix of Spain, the weight relaxation was 2kg but that won't be the case in Paris.