Paris, August 9: India’s Aman Sehrawat was defeated 0-10 by Japan’s Rei Higuchi in the men’s 57kg wrestling semi-finals at the Paris Olympics on Thursday, ending his bid for a gold medal but keeping alive hopes for a bronze.
Sehrawat’s Olympic journey began with impressive victories, including a commanding 10-0 win over Russian-born Macedonian Vladimir Egorov and a 12-0 triumph over Albania’s Zelimkhan Abakarov. However, his momentum stalled against Higuchi, a silver medallist from the 2016 Rio Olympics and a former world champion in the 61kg category.
In the semi-final bout, Higuchi demonstrated superior technique, quickly taking a 4-0 lead with aggressive leg attacks and maintaining dominance throughout the match. The Japanese grappler’s continuous pressure led to a victory by technical superiority, with Sehrawat unable to score any points.
Despite the semi-final loss, Sehrawat will have another chance to secure an Olympic medal when he faces Puerto Rico’s Darian Cruz in the bronze medal match on Friday, August 9.
In other wrestling news, Indian grappler Anshu Malik was also knocked out of contention after a 2-7 loss to USA’s Helen Louise Maroulis in the women’s 57kg pre-quarterfinals. Malik, who had faced Maroulis in the 2021 World Championship final, struggled against the seasoned American wrestler. Despite a valiant effort, Malik’s hopes for a bronze medal were dashed when Maroulis lost later in the day, eliminating any chance of a ‘repechage’ opportunity.
As the wrestling events continue, Sehrawat will look to bounce back and achieve a podium finish, while Malik’s performance highlighted the fierce competition faced by Indian wrestlers on the global stage.