Indian wrestler Reetika Hooda’s hopes of winning a medal at the Paris Olympics were shattered after she failed to advance to the repechage round. Hooda, the first Indian woman to qualify for the Olympics in heavyweight wrestling, suffered a setback in her quarterfinal match, falling to top seed Aiperi Medet Kyzy.
Despite a strong start to the tournament, winning by technical superiority over Hungary’s Bernadett Nagy in her first match, Hooda’s journey ended prematurely.
However, the disappointment of Hooda’s exit was softened by Aman Sehrawat’s historic bronze medal win earlier in the week. Sehrawat’s victory, secured with a decisive 13-5 triumph over Puerto Rico’s Darian Cruz, marked India’s first wrestling medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
This bronze medal brings India’s overall medal tally to six, just one shy of the seven medals achieved at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. While Hooda’s journey may have ended, India continues to push forward, striving for more success on the world stage.
