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India's Olympic wrestling hopes have been dampened after only one male freestyle wrestler, Aman Sehrawat, qualified for the Paris Games. Sujeet Kalkal and Jaideep Ahlawat's losses in the repechage rounds at the World Olympic Qualifier in Istanbul dashed India's chances of sending more men to the Olympics.Wrestling was India's most successful sport at the Tokyo Olympics, with Ravi Dahiya and Bajrang Punia winning silver and bronze medals, respectively. However, the sport has been plagued by turmoil in the past year due to protests and a lack of national camps.Sujeet's failure to qualify also ends Punia's hopes of competing in Paris. Dahiya remains in contention, but he will have to prove his worth in selection trials scheduled for June 10.In women's wrestling, India has secured quotas through Vinesh Phogat, Antim Panghal, Anshu Malik, Nisha Dahiya, and Reetika Hooda. Vinesh, who has been at the forefront of the wrestling protests, has the option to compete in either 50kg or 53kg.WFI president Sanjay Singh emphasized that Vinesh must choose one weight class for the trials. "She has to choose between 50kg and 53kg; whichever weight she gives her weigh-in, she can compete in that," Singh said.Despite the challenges, India's wrestlers remain determined to make their mark in Paris. However, the lack of preparation and turmoil within the sport have raised concerns about their ability to replicate their success from Tokyo.

Deepak Punia's Olympic qualification hopes suffered a major setback at the World Qualifiers in Sofia, Bulgaria, as he succumbed to a crushing first-round defeat. The 23-year-old, who narrowly missed a bronze medal at the Tokyo Games, was outmuscled by China's Zushen Lin in the 86kg category, losing 4-6.Punia's fate now rests on the Chinese wrestler reaching the final, which would open up the repechage route for the Indian. However, the odds are stacked against Punia, as Lin is a formidable opponent.Meanwhile, young Aman Sehrawat emerged as a beacon of hope for India, advancing to the 57kg semifinals with two dominant victories. The 20-year-old, who is the reigning U23 world champion and Asian Championship title winner, showcased his strength and technique in both his bouts.Sehrawat comfortably defeated Georgi Valentinov Vangelov of Bulgaria 10-4 before overpowering Ukraine's Andrii Yatsenko by technical superiority. Yatsenko proved to be a quick opponent, but Sehrawat's superior strength allowed him to control the match and secure a takedown victory without conceding a single point.In the 65kg category, Sujeet Kalkal also impressed, winning his first two bouts with a 3-2 victory over Uzbekistan's Umidjon Jalolov and a technical superiority victory against Korea's Junsik Yun. Kalkal faces a tougher test in the quarterfinals.Jaideep Ahlawat also advanced to the quarterfinals in the 74kg weight class, pulling off a stunning four-pointer double-leg attack to defeat Moldova's Vasile Diacon 5-3. He followed that up with a technical superiority victory against Austria's Simon Marchl.Despite these positive performances, the Indian contingent suffered setbacks in other weight classes. Deepak (97kg) and Sumit Malik (125kg) both lost their first-round bouts, leaving Punia as the only remaining hope for an Olympic berth.