Aman Sherawat: Paris Olympics' surprise medallist turned fall guy

The wrestling community of India was in for a rude jolt as wrestler Aman Sherawat, a surprise bronze medallist at the Paris Olympics, was slapped with a one-year ban by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) on Tuesday. The verdict, according to a media report, came on the back of his disqualification from the World Championship in Zagreb last September for being overweight.

 A report in Times of India says the ban on 22-year-old Aman, the first instance of an Olympic medallist being suspended by the home federation in India, will rule him out of next year’s Asian Games in Japan. The Asiad 2026 will run from 19 September to 4 October while Aman’s ban period runs from 23 September to 22 September 2026. His entry will not be sent as Aman will not be allowed to appear for the trials.

The news of Aman being found overweight by 1.7 kg during the weigh-in ahead of the competition at the Worlds in men’s freestyle 57 kg generated negative publicity within the sport's global fraternity. Unlike the Vinesh Phogat saga, when the wrestler lost an Olympic medal for being merely 100 gm overweight in Paris, an excess of nearly two kg spoke of a lack of professionalism on Aman's part and the support staff of four coaches who accompanied the freestyle squad to Zagreb.

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A WFI disciplinary hearing was conducted on 5 October in New Delhi, where Aman’s explanation was found to be ‘unsatisfactory’ and the suspension letter followed on Tuesday. Interestingly, the four coaches — Jagminder Singh, Virendra, Narender and Vinod — were let off with a warning.

A copy of the suspension letter available with TOI reads: 'The suspension is on the following grounds: You were deputed to attend the acclimatisation camp at Proec, Croatia, commencing from Aug.25, 2025, providing sufficient time to maintain your weight and fitness. Despite reporting 18 days prior to your scheduled bout, you were disqualified from the championship due to being overweight by 1.7 kg. An 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 community and supporters.'

Aman, who trains at the famed Chhattrasal stadium, was one of India's strong medal contenders. He had earlier won bronze at the Ulaanbaatar Open ranking season in June and gold at the Yasar Dogu Invitational in August ahead of the Worlds. A two-kg weight tolerance is allowed at the World Cups, United World Wrestling (UWW) series and other international competitions, but not in World or Olympics.