To accommodate Bajrang & Vinesh, IOA decides to hold two sets of trials

Tribune News Service

Vinayak Padmadeo

New Delhi, June 22

The ad hoc committee appointed by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to run the affairs of the Wrestling Federation of India has suggested that separate teams should represent India at the Asian Games and World Championships.

The ad hoc committee’s chief, Bhupinder Singh Bajwa, told The Tribune that it will be extremely difficult for the same set of wrestlers to compete at both the prestigious events.

The World Championships will be held in Belgrade, Serbia, on September 16-25, while the wrestling competition at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, will be held on October 4-7.

“I do not think that it is right to send the same wrestlers to these two tournaments as there is little over a week between the two events,” Bajwa said.

Earlier in the day, Bajwa had written to all the protesting wrestlers, including Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik, informing them that the Asian Games trials for them would be held between August 5 and 15.

“The selection trials for wrestlers in respective weight categories namely: Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, Satyawart Kadian, Sangeeta Phogat and Jitender for Asian Games 2023 will be conducted between 5th August and 15th August 2023. The trial of these wrestlers will be conducted with winners of respective weight categories for Asian Games/World Championships Olympic qualification trials conducted for participation, if done previously,” Bajwa had written.

Explaining this model further, Bajwa said that wrestlers will have to decide which competition they will take part in.

“My letter clearly says the Asian Games or the World Championships. They cannot take part in both tournaments. Once they

decide on the tournament, we will hold the trials accordingly,” Bajwa said.

‘No clarity from OCA’

However, the plan to hold special trials for the protesting wrestlers has not been approved by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA). The IOA last week had written a letter to the OCA requesting them to extend the last date for sending entries for the Asian Games to accommodate the wrestlers.

Till today, the approval has not come. “We have not heard from the OCA yet but I am optimistic that they will send a letter on this issue soon,” Bajwa said.

Interestingly, the IOA had internally discussed a scenario of the OCA denying the request. “If the OCA does not approve our request then the wrestlers will be forced to either take part in the trials with other wrestlers on July 10 or sit out,” a source in IOA said.

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