World champ beaten, Oly champ toppled: Indian wrestlers now dream of LA 2028 gold
Indian wrestlers secured six medals at a recent competition in Aichi-Nagoya, signaling a strong recovery and renewed focus on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Key athletes like Aman Sehrawat and Sujeet Kalkal defeated world and Olympic champions, boosting national morale.
Why it matters
This performance marks a significant turnaround for Indian wrestling, establishing a clear trajectory for international success in the upcoming Olympic cycle.
NEW DELHI: India's wrestlers arrived in Aichi-Nagoya carrying questions over injuries, form and confidence. They left with six medals — two gold, two silver and two bronze — and a much bigger target already occupying their minds: the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.Aman Sehrawat and Sujeet Kalkal struck gold, while Nitesh Siwach and Antim Panghal won silver and Deepak Punia and Sunil Kumar added bronze.The campaign was also marked by two major statements. Sehrawat defeated reigning world champion Han Chong Song in the men's 57kg freestyle final, while Kalkal beat Olympic champion Kotaro Kiyooka on his way to gold in the 65kg category.For the Indian wrestlers, however, Nagoya was less about looking back at what they had achieved and more about building towards what comes next.Sehrawat turns a difficult phase into goldFor Sehrawat, the gold was the culmination of one of the most difficult phases of his young career.The 23-year-old had…
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