Wrestling has had a tough time at the Olympics since in 2013 IOC recommended to drop wrestling from the Summer Olympics effective from 2020. This decision received a lot of backlash from athletes and organisations around the world. Several athletes and the United World Wrestling body made revisions to bring back wrestling as an Olympic sport. Their efforts paid off as wrestling was voted to be reinstated for the 2020 Olympics as well as the 2024 Olympics.
India has had success in wrestling over the past few Olympics, with four Olympic medals in the last 3 Olympics. Sushil Kumar won a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and a silver at the 2012 London Olympics, making him the first Indian to have multiple individual Olympic medals. Yogeshwar Dutt also bagged a bronze medal for India at the 2012 Olympics, while Sakshi Malik became the first Indian woman to win a medal in wrestling, taking home the bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Wrestling at the Tokyo Olympics will certainly be an exciting event and let us take a look at all you need to know about wrestling at the Tokyo Olympics.
Wrestling at the Tokyo Olympics: Preview
India will be sending its largest wrestling contingent this year, with 8 wrestlers qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics. In the women’s category, Vinesh Phogat is India’s biggest hope to win a medal. Phogat took gold at the 2021 Asian Wrestling Championships as well as a gold at the recently conducted Poland Open. She will be competing in the 53kg category.
At just 19 years old, Anshu Malik qualified for her first Olympics in the 57kg category by winning a silver in the 2020 Individual World Cup, becoming the only Indian to do so. Sonam Malik has also qualified in the 62kg category, while Seema Bisla secured her spot at the Olympics by reaching the finals of the World Olympic Qualifier in Bulgaria.
On the men’s side, Bajrang Punia is India’s biggest hope of winning a medal this year. The 27-year-old secured his berth at the Olympics in the 65kg category and has been looking incredibly consistent over the last few championships. He recently took silver at the 2021 Asian Wrestling Championships.
Ravi Kumar Dahiya is also looking strong, clinching a bronze medal in the 57kg category at the 2019 World Wrestling Championships. Ravi Kumar took back to back gold medals at the 2020 Asian Championships and 2021 Asian Championships. Deepak Punia, who qualified in the 86kg category and Sumit Malik who qualified in the 125kg category, rounded off the Indian wrestling contingent.
Wrestling at the Tokyo Olympics: Schedule
Here is a schedule of wrestling at the Tokyo Olympics. The events will be held from 1st August to 7th August and will comprise 289 wrestlers over 18 events. All timings are in Japan Standard Time (JST) which is 3 hours 30 minutes ahead of Indian Standard Time (IST).
Date and Time: Sun 1 Aug. 11:00am – 1:00pm
- Men’s Greco-Roman 60 kg 1/8 Finals
- Women’s Freestyle 76 kg 1/8 Finals
- Men’s Greco-Roman 130 kg 1/8 Finals
- Men’s Greco-Roman 60 kg 1/4 Finals
- Women’s Freestyle 76 kg 1/4 Finals
- Men’s Greco-Roman 130 kg 1/4 Finals
Date and Time: Sun 1 Aug. 6:15pm – 7:15pm
- Men’s Greco-Roman 60 kg Semifinals
- Men’s Greco-Roman 130 kg Semifinals
- Women’s Freestyle 76 kg Semifinals
Date and Time: Mon 2 Aug. 11:00am – 1:30pm
- Men’s Greco-Roman 60 kg Repechage
- Women’s Freestyle 76 kg Repechage
- Men’s Greco-Roman 130 kg Repechage
- Men’s Greco-Roman 77 kg 1/8 Finals
- Women’s Freestyle 68 kg 1/8 Finals
- Men’s Greco-Roman 97 kg 1/8 Finals
- Men’s Greco-Roman 77 kg 1/4 Finals
- Women’s Freestyle 68 kg 1/4 Finals
- Men’s Greco-Roman 97 kg 1/4 Finals
Date and Time: Mon 2 Aug. 6:15pm – 10:00pm
- Men’s Greco-Roman 77 kg Semifinals
- Men’s Greco-Roman 97 kg Semifinals
- Women’s Freestyle 68 kg Semifinals
- Men’s Greco-Roman 60 kg Bronze Medal Matches
- Men’s Greco-Roman 60 kg Final
- Men’s Greco-Roman 130 kg Bronze Medal Matches
- Men’s Greco-Roman 130 kg Final
- Men’s Greco-Roman 60 kg Victory Ceremony
- Women’s Freestyle 76 kg Bronze Medal Matches
- Women’s Freestyle 76 kg Final
- Men’s Greco-Roman 130 kg Victory Ceremony
- Women’s Freestyle 76 kg Victory Ceremony
Date and Time: Tue 3 Aug. 11:00am – 1:30pm
- Men’s Greco-Roman 77 kg Repechage
- Women’s Freestyle 68 kg Repechage
- Men’s Greco-Roman 97 kg Repechage
- Men’s Greco-Roman 67 kg 1/8 Finals
- Women’s Freestyle 62 kg 1/8 Finals
- Men’s Greco-Roman 87 kg 1/8 Finals
- Men’s Greco-Roman 67 kg 1/4 Finals
- Women’s Freestyle 62 kg 1/4 Finals
- Men’s Greco-Roman 87 kg 1/4 Finals
Date and Time: Tue 3 Aug. 6:15 – 10:00pm
- Men’s Greco-Roman 67 kg Semifinals
- Men’s Greco-Roman 87 kg Semifinals
- Women’s Freestyle 62 kg Semifinals
- Men’s Greco-Roman 77 kg Bronze Medal Matches
- Men’s Greco-Roman 77 kg Final
- Men’s Greco-Roman 97 kg Bronze Medal Matches
- Men’s Greco-Roman 97 kg Final
- Men’s Greco-Roman 77 kg Victory Ceremony
- Women’s Freestyle 68 kg Bronze Medal Matches
- Women’s Freestyle 68 kg Final
- Men’s Greco-Roman 97 kg Victory Ceremony
- Women’s Freestyle 68 kg Victory Ceremony
Date and Time: Wed 4 Aug. 11:00am – 1:30pm
- Men’s Greco-Roman 67 kg Repechage
- Women’s Freestyle 62 kg Repechage
- Men’s Greco-Roman 87 kg Repechage
- Men’s Freestyle 57 kg 1/8 Finals
- Women’s Freestyle 57 kg 1/8 Finals
- Men’s Freestyle 86 kg 1/8 Finals
- Men’s Freestyle 57 kg 1/4 Finals
- Women’s Freestyle 57 kg 1/4 Finals
- Men’s Freestyle 86 kg 1/4 Finals
Date and Time: Wed 4 Aug. 6:15pm – 10:00pm
- Men’s Freestyle 57 kg Semifinals
- Men’s Freestyle 86 kg Semifinals
- Women’s Freestyle 57 kg Semifinals
- Men’s Greco-Roman 67 kg Bronze Medal Matches
- Men’s Greco-Roman 67 kg Final
- Men’s Greco-Roman 87 kg Bronze Medal Matches
- Men’s Greco-Roman 87 kg Final
- Men’s Greco-Roman 67 kg Victory Ceremony
- Women’s Freestyle 62 kg Bronze Medal Matches
- Women’s Freestyle 62 kg Final
- Men’s Greco-Roman 87 kg Victory Ceremony
- Women’s Freestyle 62 kg Victory Ceremony
Date and Time: Thu 5 Aug. 11:00am – 1:30pm
- Men’s Freestyle 57 kg Repechage
- Women’s Freestyle 57 kg Repechage
- Men’s Freestyle 86 kg Repechage
- Men’s Freestyle 74 kg 1/8 Finals
- Women’s Freestyle 53 kg 1/8 Finals
- Men’s Freestyle 125 kg 1/8 Finals
- Men’s Freestyle 74 kg 1/4 Finals
- Women’s Freestyle 53 kg 1/4 Finals
- Men’s Freestyle 125 kg 1/4 Finals
Date and Time: Thu 5 Aug. 6:15pm – 10:00pm
- Men’s Freestyle 74 kg Semifinals
- Men’s Freestyle 125 kg Semifinals
- Women’s Freestyle 53 kg Semifinals
- Men’s Freestyle 57 kg Bronze Medal Matches
- Men’s Freestyle 57 kg Final
- Men’s Freestyle 86 kg Bronze Medal Matches
- Men’s Freestyle 86 kg Final
- Men’s Freestyle 57 kg Victory Ceremony
- Women’s Freestyle 57 kg Bronze Medal Matches
- Women’s Freestyle 57 kg Final
- Men’s Freestyle 86 kg Victory Ceremony
- Women’s Freestyle 57 kg Victory Ceremony
Date and Time: Fri 6 Aug. 11:00am – 1:30pm
- Men’s Freestyle 74 kg Repechage
- Women’s Freestyle 53 kg Repechage
- Men’s Freestyle 125 kg Repechage
- Men’s Freestyle 65 kg 1/8 Finals
- Women’s Freestyle 50 kg 1/8 Finals
- Men’s Freestyle 97 kg 1/8 Finals
- Men’s Freestyle 65 kg 1/4 Finals
- Women’s Freestyle 50 kg 1/4 Finals
- Men’s Freestyle 97 kg 1/4 Finals
Date and Time: Fri 6 Aug. 6:15pm – 10:00pm
- Men’s Freestyle 65 kg Semifinals
- Men’s Freestyle 97 kg Semifinals
- Women’s Freestyle 50 kg Semifinals
- Men’s Freestyle 74 kg Bronze Medal Matches
- Men’s Freestyle 74 kg Final
- Men’s Freestyle 125 kg Bronze Medal Matches
- Men’s Freestyle 125 kg Final
- Men’s Freestyle 74 kg Victory Ceremony
- Women’s Freestyle 53 kg Bronze Medal Matches
- Women’s Freestyle 53 kg Final
- Men’s Freestyle 125 kg Victory Ceremony
- Women’s Freestyle 53 kg Victory Ceremony
Date and time: Saturday 7 August 6:45pm – 10:00pm
- Men’s Freestyle 65 kg Repechage
- Women’s Freestyle 50 kg Repechage
- Men’s Freestyle 97 kg Repechage
- Men’s Freestyle 65 kg Bronze Medal Matches
- Men’s Freestyle 65 kg Final
- Men’s Freestyle 97 kg Bronze Medal Matches
- Men’s Freestyle 97 kg Final
- Men’s Freestyle 65 kg Victory Ceremony
- Women’s Freestyle 50 kg Bronze Medal Matches
- Women’s Freestyle 50 kg Final
- Men’s Freestyle 97 kg Victory Ceremony
- Women’s Freestyle 50 kg Victory Ceremony
Wrestling at the Tokyo Olympics: Venue
Wrestling at the Tokyo Olympics will take place at the Makuhari Messe in hall A, a convention centre outside Tokyo, in Chiba City. Makuhari is the name of the area, while Messe means trade hall in German, hence signifying it to be a convention centre.
The centre is the host of the Tokyo Game Show, the Tokyo Auto Salon, the biannual Wonder Festival and many other big festivals and conventions year-round. It is accessible by the Tokyo commuter rail system.
Wrestling and Taekwondo will take place in Hall A of the Makuhari Messe, and sitting volleyball will take place during the Tokyo Paralympics. Fencing will take place in Hall B along with Taekwondo and Wheelchair fencing for the Paralympics. Hall C will be used for goalball at the Tokyo Paralympics.
Wrestling at the Tokyo Olympics: Timing and Live Streaming
On all days, wrestling at the Tokyo Olympics will start at 11 am Japan Time, which is 7:30 am IST. In the evenings, all matches will start at 6:15 pm Japan time, which is 2:30 pm IST. On 7th August, the last day of the wrestling events, the matches will be held from 6:45 pm Japan time (2:45 pm IST). Japan time is 3 hours and 30 minutes ahead of IST. The live streaming for Tokyo Olympics will be broadcast on Sony Sports Network in India.
Also read: Badminton at the Tokyo Olympics: Preview, Schedule, Venue, Timing, Live Streaming and More
