Want for pace is Aman Sehrawat’s mantra now
New Delhi: Getting your image on the dank partitions of the wrestling corridor within the capital’s Chhatrasal Stadium is an aspirational legacy. It’s an honour prolonged to Olympic medallists who’ve honed their expertise right here, which suggests Sushil Kumar and Ravi Dahiya are proper up there, poring over the lithe, sweaty our bodies going via the grind on the mat beneath.
When Aman Sehrawat returned to his alma mater after successful bronze on the Paris Olympics final August, he determined to delay the di rigueur. “I desire a image with the President of India,” he’s realized to have stated, indicating his need for the Arjuna award.
On Thursday, his want got here true with Aman changing into the one wrestler to get a nationwide sports activities award within the 2024 iteration. A complete of 32 para and able-bodied athletes will obtain Arjuna for his or her efficiency over the previous 4 years whereas one other 4 might be bestowed with Main Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award.
“It’s a nice feeling. As a child, I typically dreamt of dressing up in a pleasant go well with and get awarded by the president. Kaha se aye thy or kaha pahuch gaye,” he stated. The 21-year-old has certainly come a good distance from his native Birohar village in Haryana to turn into the current and way forward for Indian wrestling. His image will, doubtless, quickly go up in Chhatrasal, however the sharp spike in his standing inside these dusty, sweaty confines has been evident for the reason that night time he made the rostrum in Paris.
His coaching classes are watched by awestruck youngsters, he smiles typically, speaks typically, and strikes round with a quiet swagger, casually acknowledging the boys who bow to him or request him for selfies. Again in 2021, he had watched Ravi develop into an in a single day star in the exact same corridor, and had vowed to “do one thing to deserve that love.”
“The magnitude of successful an Olympic medal actually hit house once I returned. So many features, a lot felicitation, going to Kaun Banega Crorepati…my life modified right away. Individuals say I communicate much more. Is it true? It might have one thing to do with the arrogance that an Olympic medal brings,” he says, lounging in his plush ‘assembly room’ that his coach Lalit Kumar has carved throughout the stadium.
The room has cabinets that carry a few of Aman’s trophies and fabric that bear his title together with quantity 57, his weight class. And, in fact, there are the ever present Olympic rings — on the cushions and on the windscreen of his new SUV.
Aman took a three-month break put up Paris, due to the ceaseless occasions that he needed to attend. He resumed mat coaching in November and is again from a month-long stint at Japan’s Nippon Sports activities Science College, a visit he describes as an “eye opener.” The 21-year-old had some intense classes with Hangzhou Asian Video games bronze medallist Kaiki Yamaguchi and Paris gold medallist Rei Higuchi, and has returned mesmerised.
“Their pace and methods are wonderful. I used to be overwhelmed by a Japanese (Toshihiro Hasegawa) on the Asian Video games after which once more in Paris (Higuchi). So, I needed to see their coaching strategies,” he stated.
Mentored largely by Yamaguchi, Aman additionally had a somewhat revealing session with Higuchi who broke down their Paris semi-final that the Japanese had gained 10-0 in somewhat over two minutes.
“He advised me I used to be opening my arms an excessive amount of which allowed him to come back in. As soon as in, he was in a position to assault my legs at will,” he stated.
In comparison with energy and endurance, constructing pace requires important tactical, technical, and coaching tweaks. Whereas it’s frequent for Indian wrestlers to coach for 4-6 rounds to boost stamina, the Japanese, Aman famous, practice in explosive 60-90 second rounds to get pacier.
“Our strategies are wonderful for larger weights however the important thing to win in 57kg or 65 kg is pace. Aman continues to be higher than a number of Indians as a result of he switched to mat (from mud wrestling) very early. His endurance is unbeatable; very not often does he lose a bout that goes full six minutes. We’re progressively making some adjustments to his coaching to enhance his pace. We’ll introduce him to high-intensity interval coaching. There’s nonetheless time for LA,” Lalit stated.
For Aman, the countdown to LA has began. His room will quickly be adorned with footage of the gold medal for LA Video games, like he did for Paris. “The expectations will enhance manifold now. I need to proceed in 57kg until LA and are available house with a gold medal,” he stated.
