New Delhi: Paris Olympics bronze medallist wrestler Aman Sehrawat has been suspended for one year by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) after being disqualified from the World Championships for failing to make weight.
Aman, a strong medal contender in 57kg, was 1.7kg over the prescribed limit on the morning of his weigh-in and forfeited his bout.
WFI issued a show cause notice to Aman on September 23 “seeking an explanation regarding his disqualification due to exceeding the weight limit by 1.7kg.” The federation said his reply was reviewed by the disciplinary committee. He was also asked to appear before a five-member committee headed by WFI president Sanjay Kumar Singh which also had the national coaches in attendance. Clarifications were obtained from the chief coach and support coaching staff.
“Upon thorough examination the committee found your response unsatisfactory and has resolved to impose strict disciplinary action,” Singh said in the suspension letter issued to Aman on Tuesday.
“You are hereby suspended from all wrestling related activities, both at the national and international level for a period of one year effective from the date of show cause notice,” according to the suspension letter, a copy of which is with HT.
The overweight saga has been hurting Indian wrestling in recent times. At the Paris Olympics, Vinesh Phogat was found overweight on the day of her gold medal bout and could not compete. She returned empty-handed, leading to a major controversy.
Explaining the grounds on which he was suspended, WFI said Aman was given “sufficient time to maintain weight and fitness” during the camp in Porec, Croatia that started on August 25. The Worlds were held in Zagreb, Croatia from September 13-21.
“As an Olympic medallist WFI holds you to the highest standards of discipline, professionalism and commitment. Failure to adhere to these standards, particularly in managing your weight, has not only impacted your personal credibility but also tarnished the image of the nation on the global stage, causing disappointment among the wrestling fraternity and supporters,” as per the letter.
“You failed to maintain the prescribed weight category for which you were officially selected, thereby depriving India of a potential medal opportunity and causing significant loss due to the expenditure incurred by the government for your participation and training.”
“During the period of suspension you are barred from participating in or associating with any activities organised or sanctioned by WFI at both national and international levels,” Singh wrote.
The chief coach was also hauled up but let off with a warning. “Since Aman was not training at the national camp, the coaches said they were not aware of his weight maintenance regime, “ a WFI official said.
Aman has had training stints in Russia this year and has not been part of the national camp in Lucknow that started in February. However, he attended the
pre-competition India camp in Croatia where coaches were monitoring his weight. He was 600gm overweight the previous evening, which is normal for a wrestler to cut overnight. However, in the morning the coaches were surprised to find he was 1.7kg over the limit.
The suspension means he could miss the 2026 Asian Games in Japan, which starts on September 19.
Aman told HT that he will request WFI to take back the suspension. “It has never happened in my career that I have failed to maintain weight. I would request WFI to take back the suspension taking into consideration that it was my first such mistake,” Aman said.
“I was confident that I would be able to shed 600gm overnight. I started having stomach problems and therefore I was just not able to train (to cut weight). It was getting very difficult. At night I thought I should have some liquid and food so that I could get rid of the stomach pain and then I can start training early in the morning. But that did not happen. In the morning I saw my weight had shot up,” he said.
Aman said his maintenance weight is around 62 kg and he starts to cut his weight 10-15 days before the competition.
It is the second such incident where WFI has cracked the whip on a wrestler for being unable to maintain weight. Neha Sangwan (59kg) was suspended for two years after she was disqualified for being overweight at the junior world championships in Bulgaria in August.
A WFI official said maintaining weight is becoming an issue with the wrestlers.
“This is part of their professional duty. If you are disqualified for being overweight it means India has no representation in that weight class and we lose medals. Maintaining discipline is important. We have also told our coaches that from next time there will be severe punishment for them as well if a wrestler is found overweight in international competitions,” said an official.
