Indian Wrestling Team For Paris Olympics Has Women Wrestlers Outnumber Men

It is for the first time that women wrestlers have outnumbered men in the Indian squad for the Olympics.

Vinesh Phogat (50 kg): The Phogat sister is back in form. She is undeniably one of India’s finest female wrestlers. She has a decorated career—three gold medals from Commonwealth Games, two bronze medals from World Championships, and an Asian Games gold medal.

In the Tokyo Olympics, Phogat was in exceptional form and remained unbeaten throughout the year and won gold at the 2021 Asian Championships.

Antim Panghal (53 kg): A teenage wrestling sensation from Haryana, Panghal has left her mark on the international stage, with a bronze medal at World Championships, and Asian Games.

The oldest of the Panghal siblings, Sarita Panghal, was a national-level kabaddi player and she introduced Antim Panghal to wrestling at the age of 10.

Anshu Malik (57 kg): She is just 21 years old, and already wears a hat with lots of feathers—a silver medal at the World Championship and another at the Commonwealth Games.

In 2021, Anshu created history, when she beat Ukrainian Solomiia Vynnyk to enter the final in the women’s 57 kg category at the World Wrestling Championships in Oslo in Norway. It made her the first Indian woman to reach the final of the world wrestling championships, going further than illustrious names like Geeta Phogat and Vinesh Phogat.

Nisha Dahiya (68 kg): India’s most-promising young wrestler, with a list of records and some notable medals, had most wins in the 65 kg category at the Asian Championships. She is the fastest Indian wrestler to win a gold medal at the World Championship.

She also holds one gold medal at Commonwealth Championships 2019, silver medal at the Asian Championships 2020, and a bronze at the World Championships 2020.

Reetika Hooda (76 kg): She wrestles in the freestyle category and has won a bronze medal in the women's 72 kg event at the 2023 Ibrahim Moustafa Wrestling Ranking Series in Egypt. She has also won a bronze medal at the Asian Wrestling Championships 2023.

The year 2023 was a tough one for the Indian wrestlers. Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Mali, Anshu Malik, and Bajrang Punia—the top Indian wrestlers had a year-long fight against former Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. This resulted in the national body’s suspension by the United World Wrestling and the Sports Ministry.

Vinesh Phogat was one of the players fighting a match outside the ring, against the management of WFI.

The WFI's suspension and subsequent reinstatement by United World Wrestling have disrupted preparations, leading to a lack of centralised training camps and coordinated efforts.

The recent performances and quota wins are seen as a beacon of hope for the sport's revival in India. While a new national federation under a fresh set of office-bearers is in place, the damage to Indian wrestling can be seen in the number of male wrestlers qualifying for Paris.

Wrestling competitions at the Paris 2024 Olympics are set to kick off on Aug. 5 at the Champ-de-Mars Arena.

Indian wrestling's path to the Paris 2024 Olympics has been filled with both notable achievements and significant hurdles. With six athletes having secured Olympic quotas, India aims to not only increase its medal tally but also restore the sport's prestige and motivate future wrestlers.