Freestyle wrestlers have always hogged the ‘limelight’ as far as Indian wrestling is concerned. But for a ‘change’, the country’s Greco-Roman wrestling community grabbed the eyeballs with youngster Hardeep Singh producing ‘something out of the ordinary’ to reach the final of the 98kg category of the 2016 Olympic Wrestling Asian Qualification Tournament in Astana, Kazakhstan.
The grappler en route to the final also sealed his berth for the 2016 Rio Olympics and attained a ‘significant first’ – becoming the first Indian Greco-Roman wrestler to win an Olympic berth in the heavyweight category – no Indian Greco-roman grappler have ever made it to the final in the heavyweight category.
In fact, this is the first time in twelve years that India will have a representation in Greco-Roman in Olympics – the last time India had a Greco-Roman wrestler at the Olympics was at the 2004 Athens Olympics, where Mukesh Khatri fought in the 55kg category – he had lost to Russia's Gueidar Mamedaliev 0-6 in his first group B elimination-round bout.
Hardeep’s feat is hugely significant for Indian Greco-Roman wrestling as it has always struggled to make a big impression in recent years.
His Olympic qualifying achievement is all the more remarkable given the fact that none of the other Greco-Roman grapplers made the Olympic cut. Of course, Ravinder Khatri did win a bronze medal in the Greco-Roman 85kg category but even that will of little solace as the elusive Olympic berth eluded him as only the top two finishers in each category make the cut.
Greco-Roman wrestling badly needed a boost from some quarter, and it was left to young Hardeep to provide that with a superb showing in Astana. The Indian got a bye in the first round and straightway featured in the quarterfinals, where he was pitted against Turkmenistan's Arslan Saparmamedov.
Hardeep meant business from the word go dominating his Turkmenistan opponent winning crucial points to close out a facile 10-0 win. He also turned his semifinal bout against Kazakhstan’s Margulan Assembekov into a lop-sided affair crushing him 10-2 to set up a final appointment with China’s Xiao DI and had to settle for the runners-up spot.
Hardeep also featured in the 2015 World Championship in Las Vegas, where he reached the pre-quarterfinals – an event where the country’s eight Greco-Roman wrestlers hardly made an impact losing in the early rounds.
“Hardeep’s achievement is a big thing for Indian Greco-roman wrestling. Our Greco-roman grapplers had a disappointing 2015 World Championship and given this, his effort is indeed praiseworthy. Before Hardeep India never had Greco-roman heavyweight representation in Olympics, which tell you something about his achievement,” says former international grappler and Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) Vice President Raj Singh.
Hardeep’s feat is even more creditable given the fact that he was carrying a nagging injury into the tournament. “Hardeep was grappling with a right elbow injury going into the tournament in China. He found it difficult to continue after the semifinals and so he conceded the final bout to his Chinese opponent,” Singh adds.
One hopes that Indian Greco-roman wrestling reaches newer heights riding on the solid performance of Hardeep.
