Aman Sehrawat continued his fast rise within the seniors circuit with a maiden Asian Championships gold within the 57kg class as India kicked off the freestyle leg of the competitors in model, in Astana on Thursday.
The 19-year-old prevailed over Kyrgyzstan’s Almaz Smanbekov 9-4 to win India their lone gold on the ongoing championship. The 57kg class has been a dominant division for India with Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Ravi Dahiya taking the yellow metallic in three previous years. With Dahiya nonetheless recovering from a knee harm, the onus was on Aman to make sure the title stayed with India, and the teen did not disappoint.
He beat Japan’s Rikuto Arai 7-1 in his opening bout earlier than trouncing China’s world No 3 Wanhao Zou 7-4 to advance to the ultimate.
“I assumed the Chinese language was an excellent wrestler. I at all times assume that if they can not put me in peril in par terre (on floor), I’ll win. In the event that they rating from par terre and the lead is an excessive amount of, I will not be capable of cowl up. I’m a bit involved about getting caught in a lace however so far as grappling from a standing place is worried, I’m certain I will win,” Aman mentioned.
The ultimate in opposition to the 2022 Asian Championships bronze medallist turned out to be a completely dominant efficiency from Aman whose relentless assaults stored him within the lead virtually by the whole thing of the out. The one time Smanbekov led was for the opening few seconds within the first interval when Aman’s tried takedown was defended effectively by the 25-year-old who scored a brace on the counter.
One other time Smanbekov’s counter fetched him two factors was within the second interval when one in every of Aman’s botched-up attacking strikes was nipped by his opponent who proceeded to cut back the deficit.
“I did watch his (Smanbekov’s) bouts earlier than the ultimate and I knew he solely has counters up his sleeve. However I assumed I ought to maintain making an attempt to attain. After I obtained countered twice, I put my head down and focussed,” recalled Aman who gained a bronze at this 12 months’s Zagreb Open.
To his credit score, the Indian got here again every time he was countered. A double leg takedown put him in 5-2 lead, and when Smanbekov grabbed two factors, Aman responded with one other takedown to make it 7-4. He stored up the strain and made it 9-4 with lower than a minute on the clock. A reduce on his proper forehead failed to discourage him as Aman secured the largest medal of his senior profession.
“I realised he was drained when the third minute started. So, I knew that when he tries pretend assaults, I’ve to counter.”
Parveen Dahiya, Aman’s coach in Delhi’s Chhatrasal Stadium, lauded his ward’s effort though the medal did not come as a shock to him. “I knew he’ll come again with a gold. He’s a world-class wrestler who has the potential to develop into the world beater,” mentioned Dahiya.
Lalit Kumar, one other coach at Chhatrasal who repeatedly trains Aman, singled out his improved leg defence as a standout characteristic. “He has labored so much on this side and hardly gave any factors on defence. Within the last, it appeared he was tiring a bit which is why he conceded factors, however total, it was a really assured present,” he mentioned.
Amongst different wrestlers within the fray, Deepak gained a bronze within the 79 kg class beating Tajikistan’s Shuhrat Bozorov by technical superiority (12-1). Anuj Kumar (65kg) and Mulayam Yadav (70kg) didn’t make the medal rounds whereas Birmingham Commonwealth Video games bronze medallist Deepak Nehra misplaced his bronze medal bout (12-9) to Uzbekistan’s Makhsud Veysalov.