Japan’s Rei Higuchi in motion in opposition to Aman Sehrawat throughout the semifinal of the 57kg freestyle wrestling occasion at Paris Olympics, on August 8, 2024.
| Picture Credit score: Reuters
Younger Indian grappler Aman Sehrawat misplaced to Japanese top-seed Rei Higuchi within the 57kg free-style semifinal bout because the nation’s hopes of profitable a gold from wrestling suffered a giant blow on the Olympics in Paris on Thursday (August 8, 2024).
The 21-year-old Aman will now play for the bronze medal.
Aman, who had raised hopes of securing a spot within the closing following two large victories in opposition to celebrated opponents within the earlier rounds, was no match for the 28-year-old Higuchi — the 2016 Rio Olympics silver medallist — because the Japanese toyed with the Indian to stamp his technical superiority with a 10-0 win in simply over two minutes.
Higuchi’s superior method was evident within the first few seconds when he attacked Aman’s legs to take a 4-0 lead.
The Japanese, a former world champion in 2022 at Belgrade within the 61kg class, saved up the strain on the Indian, concentrating on Aman’s legs and effecting common throw downs with ease to garner six extra factors to finish the competition.
Aman had earlier rekindled the nation’s hopes, demolishing former world champion Zelimkhan Abakarov of Albania by technical superiority to seal a spot within the semifinal.
Aman was in imperious kind as he toyed with Abakarov within the second spherical. Aman locked the opponent’s legs at first of the second spherical and flipped him over a number of occasions to earn eight straight factors to safe a 12-0 victory.
The bout began with Aman earing a passivity level after his Russian-turned-Albanian opponent didn’t provoke any attacking transfer.
Moments later, the Indian effected a left-leg maintain to earn two extra factors to showcase his dominance by going 3-0 up on the finish of spherical 1.
Aman was on tune in spherical 2 and Abakarov, world champion in 2022, bore the brunt. The Indian’s very good agility in opposition to the 31-year-old Albanian was on show as he attacked the left leg to convey him down.
He then effected a ‘fitley’ (leg lace), turning the Albanian round a number of occasions to finish the competition with greater than two minutes to go.
Abakarov contested the final two factors awarded to Aman however the referee dominated in favour of the Indian and awarded him some extent.
Aman’s pre-quarterfinal spherical was additionally a cakewalk as he ensured a simple passage into the last-eight with a dominating efficiency in opposition to North Macedonian rival Vladimir Egorov.
Aman, an Asian Championship gold medallist and the one male wrestler from the nation to qualify for the Olympics, was amazingly agile as he saved his defence intact whereas usually overpowering his 29-year-old former European champion with leg holds to win the bout on technical superiority (10-0).
Egorov gave the impression to be in a little bit of hassle after the primary spherical, requiring medical consideration on his knee following Aman’s all-out assault.
However the Macedonian couldn’t stage a comeback with Aman effecting a takedown to earn two extra factors and go 10-0 up with greater than two minutes remaining on the clock.