Setback for Indian wrestling team as star wrestler Aman Sehrawat disqualified from World Championship for being overweight
PTC News Desk: The Indian wrestling contingent has suffered a major setback at the Wrestling World Championships in Zagreb as star wrestler Aman was disqualified for being overweight ahead of his event.
Aman Sehrawat was disqualified after exceeding the weight limit by 1.7 kg during the official weigh-in. The 22-year-old, who trains at Delhi’s renowned Chhattrasal Stadium and was considered one of India’s top medal hopefuls, had travelled with the national contingent to Zagreb on August 25 for an acclimatization camp. Despite the preparation time, he failed to make weight. A team source called the development “unfortunate and surprising,” adding, “How he gained so much extra weight is beyond us.”
However, according to a Sportstar report, Sehrawat’s coach Lalit Prasad attributed the weight issue to illness. Sehrawat had been slated to face Macedonia’s Vladimir Egorov in his opening bout before being withdrawn.
This marks the second Indian disqualification from a World Championships in less than a month. In August, Neha Sangwan (women’s 59kg) was ruled out of the U20 Worlds in Bulgaria after exceeding her weight category by 600g. She was subsequently suspended for two years by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) for repeated violations. The setback also follows last year’s controversy at the Paris Olympics, where Vinesh Phogat was disqualified for being overweight by just 100g ahead of the women’s 50kg final.
A coach from the Indian camp expressed frustration, highlighting the heavy investment in athletes: “The government spends at least 7–8 lakh on every wrestler for the World Championships. Almost 2kg above the limit is unacceptable.”
It remains unclear whether the WFI will discipline Sehrawat, as it did with Neha Sangwan, or show leniency given his reputation as one of India’s most promising young wrestlers.
- With inputs from agencies
