CHENNAI: While the Indian wrestling team comprising foreign coaches and other support staff reached Nagoya, Japan on Sunday, 2024 Paris Olympics and the previous Asiad bronze medallist Aman Sehrawat was conspicuous by his absence. It was learnt that the wrestler in his bid to lose the weight and stay ready for the competition requested the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) for late departure.
Aman is expected to leave on September 30 while bouts in his weight category, 57kg in freestyle, are scheduled on the last day of the wrestling competition, October 3. "He will fly out on September 30. He wrote to the WFI requesting for the late departure as he wanted to cut his weight. The federation forwarded the same to the Sports Authority of India (SAI), which in turn accepted the request," a source in the know of things told this daily.
On October 3, five Indian wrestlers including Aman will be in action. Previous edition silver medallist Deepak Punia (97kg, freestyle), Sagar Jaglan (74kg, freestyle) and women wrestlers — Antim Panghal (53kg, bronze medallist from the last Asiad) and Manisha Bhanwala (57kg) — will take the mat on the day. The wrestling competition in Nagoya will begin on September 30 with bouts in 67kg, 87kg and 130kg of the men's Greco-Roman style. Competition in the 68kg weight category of the women's wrestling will also be held on the inaugural day.
The Indian wrestling contingent left the country on Saturday night. They reached Nagoya with a stopover of around two-and-a-half-hour in Hong Kong. "The journey alone took around 10 hours and then we had to complete formalities at the airport before leaving for the cruise ship where most of us are accommodated. We reached late in the evening. We will start training on Monday afternoon," a coach accompanying the team said.
Indian wrestlers won six medals in the previous edition, which was held in 2023 — one silver and five bronze.