Aman fights back to stun World Champion, adds Asian Games gold to his collection

Olympic bronze medallist Aman Sehrawat finally changed the colour of his Asian Games medal, beating North Korea’s reigning world champion Chong Song Han 11-7 in the men’s 57kg final to win gold in Nagoya on Saturday.

Three years after settling for bronze at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, Aman held his nerve through a tense final to go one better. Han’s defensive approach frustrated the Indian early on, with the North Korean repeatedly locking Aman’s arms and making it difficult for him to initiate attacks.

Aman was put on the activity clock before getting his first scoring move. He followed it with a takedown to take a 4-1 lead and then converted another attack on Han’s left leg into two more points, throwing the North Korean to the mat to extend his advantage to 6-1.

Han received treatment on his left knee but returned to produce three consecutive scoring moves after the resumption. The fight quickly turned, with the world champion taking a slender 7-6 lead.

Aman, however, kept his composure when it mattered most. He produced two more takedowns to regain control and move 10-7 ahead. Han challenged the final point awarded to Aman, but lost the appeal, giving the Indian another point and confirming his gold medal.

Aman had earlier beaten Tajikistan’s Aiaal Belolyubskii 14-8 in the semifinals to set up the title clash. He had opened his campaign with a 20-9 technical superiority win over Japan’s Yamato Ogawa before beating Kazakhstan’s Nurdanat Aitanov in the quarterfinals.

The Asian Games gold marks a significant upgrade from Aman’s Hangzhou bronze and adds another major title to a career that already includes an Olympic bronze, an Asian Championships gold and a U23 World Championships gold. His victory also came a day after Sujeet Kalkal won gold in the men’s 65kg category, adding to India’s strong run in wrestling at the Games.

Aman became India’s youngest individual Olympic medallist when he won bronze at the Paris Games in 2024. His journey to that medal began in the mud akhadas of Birohar, Haryana, after he lost his mother at the age of 10 and his father a year later. His uncles supported him as he continued wrestling, while coach Lalit Kumar helped shape his style at Delhi’s Chhatrasal Stadium, built around speed, attacking instinct and constant movement.

His first major international breakthrough came at the 2018 U17 World Championships, where he won bronze. He followed it with another bronze at the 2019 U17 World Championships and gold at the 2019 U17 Asian Championships. In 2022, Aman won both the U23 Asian Championships and U23 World Championships, establishing himself among India’s leading young wrestlers.

He moved into the senior ranks with gold at the 2023 Senior Asian Championships before winning bronze at the Hangzhou Asian Games. In May 2024, he secured India’s Olympic quota in the 57kg freestyle category at the World Olympic Qualification Tournament in Istanbul.

His preparation for the Paris Olympics was intense, with nearly eight hours of training each day. Aman went on to win bronze in Paris, becoming India’s youngest individual Olympic medallist.

The period after the Olympics brought setbacks. An injury ruled him out of the Asian Championships, although he returned to win bronze at a ranking tournament in Mongolia before claiming gold at an international competition in Turkey less than three weeks later in June 2025. At the 2025 World Championships, a stomach ailment prevented him from making the 57kg weight, leading to his disqualification before he could take the mat.

Aman’s career, however, has continued to move forward. Inspired by two-time Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar, he has set his sights beyond simply following in his idol’s footsteps. His ambition is to go one step further and turn his Olympic bronze into gold.

His preparation has also received substantial government support. Aman was provided Rs 5,05,176 for a 28-day international training camp in Makhachkala, Russia, from January 20 to February 17, 2024, along with his physiotherapist Naitik Prakash Vohra.

He later received Rs 16,35,300 for another international training camp in Makhachkala, along with physiotherapist Naitik Prakash Vora and sparring partner Sagar, a 63kg Greco-Roman wrestler. Financial assistance of Rs 22,97,575 was also provided for engaging foreign coach Ali Shahbanov from July 1 to September 30 for 92 days at the National Coaching Camp in Lucknow.

During the Asian Games cycle, Aman received Rs 60,15,404 under the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) and Rs 26,26,654 under the Annual Calendar for Training and Competitions (ACTC).

Now, after Olympic and Asian Games bronze medals, Aman has finally added the gold he was chasing. He beat a world champion 11-7 to claim the men’s 57kg title and take another step towards the bigger target he has set for himself: Olympic gold.- Ends