In an unprecedented step in Indian wrestling, the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has imposed a one-year suspension on Paris Olympics bronze medalist Aman Sehrawat. This action was taken due to failure to measure weight at the World Wrestling Championship held in Zagreb, Croatia. 22-year-old Aman’s weight was found to be 1.7 kg more than the limit of 57 kg, due to which he was out of the competition even before his first match.

Indiscipline and violation of professional standards

Terming this mistake as indiscipline and violation of professional standards, WFI has imposed a complete ban from 23 September 2025 to 22 September 2026. Due to this suspension, Aman will no longer be able to participate in any national or international tournament including the 2026 Asian Games. The federation said that there are high expectations of discipline and commitment from an Olympic medalist. This incident has hurt the reputation of India.

Till recently, Aman Sehrawat was being counted among India’s biggest medal hopes. She won a gold medal at the Yasar Dogu Tournament in August and a bronze medal at the Ulaanbaatar Open in June. WFI said in its statement that you showed failure to maintain the prescribed weight category, which not only snatched away India’s medal chances but also caused loss of government resources.

WFI disciplinary committee meeting

In this matter, a meeting of the disciplinary committee of WFI was held on October 5, in which President Sanjay Singh, members of the selection committee, doctor, Aman and his coach attended. The coaching staff was let off with a warning, but Aman’s explanation was found unsatisfactory by the federation. The federation says that the athlete was given 18 days to control his weight while in Croatia, yet he could not make the necessary preparations.

The WFI said that an Olympic medalist is expected to maintain the highest level of discipline and fitness. Negligence in weight management has harmed his personal credibility as well as the country’s image.

The age-old challenge of weight management

This incident once again highlights the old challenge of weight management in Indian wrestling. Earlier, Vinesh Phogat was also disqualified from the 2024 Paris Olympics for being found slightly above the weight limit. Even at that time, this issue had sparked a deep debate on discipline and preparation in the Indian wrestling world.