5 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Apr 24, 2026 07:50 AM IST
When Indian wrestler Abhimanyou climbed onto the Asian Championships podium with a precious gold medal around his neck, it was one of the many steps he had taken towards the ultimate dream of an Olympic medal, something that was envisaged by his grandfather first and then his father and uncle. The 24-year-old turned up with an inspiring performance at the Championships earlier this month in the 70 kg category, defeating World number one Ernazar Akmataliev of Kyrgyzstan and World Championships medallist Tulga Tumur Ochir of Mongolia, en route to his gold medal.
“I come from a family of wrestlers. My father and uncle used to wrestle but they couldn’t go beyond the state level due to lack of resources then. This is just my start in realizing the dream of our family,” Abhimanyou told The Indian Express. “My family decided to put me in wrestling when they saw me doing well at the school level,” said Abhimanyou, who is a product of the famous Chhatrasal Akhada.
Starting at an early age of six under the guidance of his father Mahendar Singh and uncle Rajesh Kumar, Abhimanyou started training under Sandeep ‘Titu’ but it was a tragedy at home that pushed the family to send him to Chhatrasal. His father passed away after an electrocution accident at home in 2011.
“Abhimanyou’s grandfather wanted us to play in the Olympics. However, we couldn’t move beyond the state level due to lack of resources. But we wanted to make sure that Abhimanyou gets everything,” his uncle Rajesh Kumar said. “Life can be cruel. An electrocution accident at home in 2011 snatched father and teacher from the young kid,” he recalled.
After the death of his father and childhood coach, Abhimanyou moved to Chhatrasal and was supported by his uncle to make a move towards that shared Olympic dream. “When I moved here, I always remembered my home. But my family had given me clear instructions to train and not think about home,” said Abhimanyou.
He came as a 10-year-old to Chhatrasal in 2012, a year which built the legacy of Chhatrasal and is considered the greatest in history of Indian wrestling with Sushil Kumar and Yogeshwar Dutt both winning medals at the London Olympics.
“At first I was amazed by being in such a great place. Watching both seniors coming home to a rousing welcome motivated me to dream of playing in the Olympics one day,” he mentioned. But like other 10-year-olds he used to miss home. “I used to miss home but my seniors and coaches, especially my coach Lalit sir, took really good care of me. Rules were strict and I was not used to it at that time. It felt like a little jail but I got used to it with time,” he explained.
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Bonding over Olympics
During his early days at Chhatrasal, Abhimanyou shared a common dream of playing at Olympics with his then roommate and senior Ravi Dahiya, who would later go on to win the silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
“I have known Ravi bhai before he was famous. His presence had a positive impact on me. He helped me as a senior and big brother in the early days,” said Abhimanyou. “I learnt so much from him. Especially the art of coming back from failures. When he won the medal at the Olympics, it further motivated me to chase my dream.”
But this is not the first time Abhimanyou has climbed the podium of the Asian Championships. He won the bronze medal in the 70 kg category back in 2024 which was also his first major senior medal. However, an ankle injury halted his progress.
“I was doing good in the 2024 season with the U23 Asian title and senior Asian medal but an ankle injury forced me off the mat and I also missed the 2025 season due to it. It took some time to recover from that blow. During the time of recovery I realized that it is really important to take care of the body as an athlete,” he said.
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He credited the return of Pro Wrestling League as an important aspect in his improved showing and a good start to the 2026 season. “I think the PWL helped me immensely. There was nothing to lose in that tournament and it really showed me where I stand when it comes to competition,” he said.
Abhimanyou, who represented UP Dominators in PWL, played in the 74 kg category and will have to bulk up for the upcoming Asian Games. “I know my category is not in the Olympics but 74 kg is good for me as my natural body weight is around the same. My ultimate dream remains an Olympic podium and these are just the steps to move forward to that dream,”
When Abhimanyou’s uncle was asked how happy he was with his performance, he said,”Dekho ji, medal aaya hai acchi baat hai lekin khushi uss din hogi jis din ye Olympics me hoga.”
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
