We will see Indian wrestlers who won medals Olympics and created history. From KD Jadhav’s bronze in 1952 to recent stars like Ravi Kumar Dahiya and Bajrang Punia, their wins show determination and skill.
1. KD Jhadav
In 1952, at the Helsinki Olympics, a big moment happened for India in sports as KD Jadhav became a hero. He was not just a player but he represented a young country, only independent for a short time. He wrestled in the bantamweight freestyle category and had tough opponents. The competition had a knockout format and did well by beating wrestlers from Canada, Mexico, and Germany. In the semi-final, he fought against the gold medalist, Shohachi Ishii of Japan, and despite a brave effort, he lost. But he did not give up. He fought hard in the repechage, defeating the Soviet Union’s Rashid Mammadbeyov. This win earned him a spot in the bronze medal match against Japan’s Yoshitaka Yoshida. The final match was intense, with both wrestlers showing their skills. He was determined and hungry for victory pinning Yoshida to the mat and winning the historic bronze medal.
2. Sushil Kumar
Sushil Kumar made India proud at the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics by earning medals in men’s freestyle wrestling. In Beijing, competing in the 66kg category, he showed strength and tactics in matches where he secured a bronze which was India’s first Olympic wrestling medal since 1952. In London 2012, he returned to win silver in the same category which created history as the first Indian athlete with two individual Olympic medals. It is essential to recognize these achievements occurred before his current legal issues.
3. Yogeshwar Dutt
Yogeshwar Dutt won a special bronze medal in wrestling at the 2012 London Olympics. In the 60kg category, he faced challenges in a tournament-style format. After defeating a wrestler from Kazakhstan, he lost in the quarter-finals but did not give up. In the repechage rounds, he beat opponents from Georgia and Iran to reach the bronze medal match. The excitement happened in the bronze match against Besarion Gochashvili of Georgia. He was behind, but in the last seconds, he made a good move and secured a dramatic 3-1 victory and the bronze medal.
4. Sakshi Malik
In the 2016 Rio Olympics, Sakshi Malik was in the 58kg freestyle wrestling category. The competition had a single-elimination format. Each match had two periods of 3 minutes, with a 30-second break. If the score was tied, they had an overtime round to decide the winner. She ranked 13th and faced tough opponents. She won her first match against Aisuluu Tynybekova of Kyrgyzstan but lost to the gold medalist Valeria Koblova of Russia. This sent her to the repechage rounds. In her comeback, she won three consecutive matches in the repechage which included a 8-5 victory over Aisuluu Tynybekova in the bronze medal play-off. She became the first Indian female wrestler to win an Olympic medal. Sakshi Malik retired from wrestling in 2023 but continues to support social causes and remains a role model for young athletes in India.
5. Ravi Kumar Dahiya
In the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Ravi Kumar Dahiya created history in Indian wrestling as he secured a silver medal in the Men’s 57kg Freestyle category. With a dominant win against Oscar Tigreros from Colombia and Georgi Vangelov from Bulgaria, he faced Nurislam Sanayev in the semi-finals and won in a tight contest. The gold medal match against the experienced Zaur Uguev ended with Dahiya earning a well-deserved silver. Recently returning to wrestling at the Grand Prix De France 2024, he clinched a bronze medal. With active training and eyes set on gold at the upcoming Paris Olympics in 2024.
6. Bajrang Punia
At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Bajrang Punia won a bronze medal in the men’s freestyle 65kg wrestling category. Despite a knee injury just a month before the Game, his determination prevailed. The Olympic wrestling format involves a single-elimination bracket with repechages. He started strong but fell short in the semifinals which led him to the repechage round. In the tense bronze medal match against Daulet Niyazbekov of Kazakhstan, Punia, despite his injury, displayed his signature moves and earned a dominant 8-0 victory. His victory was more than bronze.
Conclusion
These wrestlers, from KD Jadhav to Bajrang Punia, have etched their names in Olympic glory which shows India’s position in wrestling. Their achievements inspire generations and prove that with grit and skill, dreams can become reality. As we celebrate their victories, we look forward to more triumphs in the future, echoing the spirit of Indian wrestling
