Olympics medal winner Aman hopeful WFI will revoke ban

Paris Olympics bronze medallist Aman Sehrawat looked happy and content. The reason was simple: he was felicitated by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) with sports minister Dr Mansukh Mandaviya in attendance.

However, one thought has been bothering him for a month now. He has been banned for a year from competition by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) after he failed to make his weight at the World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia, last month.

Sehrawat was 1.7kg overweight during the weigh-in before the start of the competition. He joined the Croatia camp about 15 days before the start of the competition but could not work on his weight as he was taken ill by a stomach bug.

"It was not as if I failed the weight knowingly. Everyone in the team knew that I was ill. We tried for two days to shed the weight but I just could not," Sehrawat told The Tribune on Monday.

"I did not like how things happened after that as nobody wants a tag of being banned but we have to also understand that there are rules, so I am over it," he added

The 22-year-old from Birohar in Haryana is hopeful that the WFI will take back the ban and he can take part in competitions.

"I have spoken to the federation a few times already and I am very hopeful that they will take back this ban. I think the federation has a meeting sometime next week where they will take a decision," he said.

However, he made it clear that he is likely to miss the Senior National Wrestling Championships, the venue for which is to be announced soon. "I do not think I will be taking part in the Nationals. The bigger picture is the Asian Games next year and my focus is doing well there and other international events where I will take part," he said.