Success in 4 consecutive Olympics, will Indian wrestlers be able to hoist the tricolour in Paris?
The Paris Olympics is starting from 26th July and this time winning a medal in wrestling is not going to be that easy. This time only 6 Indian wrestlers have qualified for the Olympics. The question is whether the wrestlers who have won medals in four consecutive Olympics will be able to hoist the tricolour for the fifth consecutive time?
Who will win the medal in the Olympics? (PC-GETTY IMAGES)
Since the Beijing Olympics, Indian wrestlers have waved the flag in the Maha Kumbh of sports. However, after success in four consecutive Olympics, it will not be easy for the wrestlers to win medals in Paris. That is because only one male player and five female players from India have been able to qualify for the Olympics. While talking about the last four years, Sushil Kumar created an atmosphere of wrestling in India by winning a bronze medal in the year 2008 and four years later he won a silver medal in the London Olympics while Yogeshwar Dutt won a bronze medal. Sakshi Malik continued this trend by winning a bronze medal in the Rio Olympics 2016 and Ravi Dahiya won a silver and Bajrang Punia a bronze medal in the Tokyo Olympics. Now let's take a look at which wrestlers will have the responsibility of winning medals for India in the Paris Olympics.
Aman Sehrawat is responsible
Aman Sehrawat will be a contender for a medal in the freestyle 50 kg category. Aman, who is constantly improving his game, replaced Ravi Dahiya in the 57 kg weight category. His strength and patience are strong points. If the match lasts for 6 minutes, it will not be easy to defeat him. However, the lack of strategy is clearly visible in his game. He does not have a plan B. In Paris, he may face tough challenges from Rei Higuchi and Uzbekistan's Gulomjon Abdullaev.
Women wrestlers are also in charge
Vinesh Phogat (Women's 50 kg): There is no doubt that Vinesh Phogat is one of the best female wrestlers of India. Strong defense and equally brilliant attack are her strengths. But in the last one year, she has got less chance to play against top players. Apart from this, she is participating in a lower weight category. She will have to go through the difficult process of losing weight.
Antim Panghal (women's 53kg): This dashing player from Hisar was the first wrestler to secure a Paris Olympics quota. When the protests were at their peak, she had even challenged Vinesh for a trial. Antim's strong point is her flexibility which allows her to quickly slip out of the opponent's grip. However, she did not participate in the Asian Games and had to miss the Asian Championships this year due to a back injury. She may have to suffer due to participating in fewer competitions in the recent past.
Anshu Malik (women's 57 kg): Anshu, who made it to the senior level after performing well at the junior level, is among the medal contenders. Quick movement on the mat and aggressive playing style are Anshu's biggest strengths. However, her fitness is a worrying aspect. She has been suffering from a shoulder injury. She claims that it is just a neck spasm, but it has not been tested.
Nisha Dahiya (Women's 68 kg): Not many claims were made about Nisha. She initially raised a lot of hopes but her progress was affected due to injury. She surprises even strong opponents with her aggressive style. She plays fearlessly which is her strong point. However, she has less experience of playing in big competitions which is her weakness. Apart from this, she can become weak if the match goes on for a long time.
Ritika Hooda (Women's 76 kg): Ritika surprises even strong players with her strength. This can prove difficult even for experienced wrestlers to defeat her. Ritika has strength and technique, but she has a habit of losing points in the last 30 seconds of the match. Even if she takes the lead, she can lose those points. Her weakness is losing concentration at the end of the match.