Aman Sehrawat bronze lifts Vinesh Phogat issue-caused gloom in SAI, Kandivli

Wrestlers Amit Kumar Gope (left) and Samarth Mhakave at SAI, Kandivli, on Saturday. Pics/Satej Shinde

The glad tidings of wrestler Aman Sehrawat's 57kg freestyle Olympic bronze in Paris on Friday were also felt 7,005 kilometres away from the French capital - at the Sports Authority of India campus in Kandivli.

And after the sadness the practitioners of the combat sport felt through Vinesh Phogat missing out on a medal, Aman's bronze provided some soothing balm.

Ayushka Gadekar

Ayushka Gadekar, an U-15 Asian Wrestling Championship gold medallist in the 58kg category, said the atmosphere at the suburban hostel when Phogat was disqualified for failing to meet the weight requirement by 100 grams, was grim. "We felt we too could face a similar situation going ahead. The world came to know what athletes have to do to keep their weight in check and what 100 grams can do to your career. But Aman bhaiya won a bronze and it was just amazing how he kept calm under pressure," Gadekar remarked.

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U-20 wrestler Amit Kumar Gope, who fights in the 77kg category, said: "There was so much going around. The controversy took everyone by surprise. Aman must have been under immense pressure. The most important thing to learn from his bout was how not to cave in."

Raj Singh Chhikara, the chief wrestling coach at SAI Kandivli

Samarth Mhakave, who won the silver medal in the U-17 55kg at the Asian Wrestling Championship in Jordan last month, was greatly affected by the Phogat controversy. "For all of us, it was depressing to see, read, and hear people speak about the incident. It's never easy for wrestlers. Aman showed us the way. He taught us never to lose hope and stay focussed," Mhakave remarked.

Meanwhile, Raj Singh Chhikara, chief wrestling coach at SAI Kandivli, felt Sehrawat's medal was much-needed in the current scenario. "We were all sad for Vinesh, but what Sehrawat has done will be remembered by the fraternity for long. He has motivated not just wrestlers at the SAI facility, but millions of Indians. The timing of his medal couldn't have been better," he said.