Wrestling trials for Asiad set to be announced today

Tribune News Service

Vinayak Padmadeo

New Delhi, July 11

Even as the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) refused to extend the deadline for sending names for the Asian Games on Monday, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) ad hoc committee appointed to run the day-to-day affairs of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) is yet to decide on the trials date for the Asiad.

The Bhupinder Singh Bajwa-led ad hoc committee met today and came up with two sets of dates to hold the trials but failed to decide on the final dates. It is expected to be announced tomorrow.

“The OCA made it clear that they will not extend the deadline beyond July 23. Our president PT Usha requested the OCA to extend the last date further but now it is not happening so we have to send the wrestling names by July 23 only,” an Indian Olympic Association (IOA) source said.

This has cast a doubt on the participation of Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and others at the Asian Games. While Sakshi and her husband Satyawart Kadian are training in USA’s Michigan, both Bajrang and Vinesh are in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, getting ready for the trials.

“As of now the committee has decided to hold the trials for the Asian Games either between July 21-22 and July 22-23,” wrestling coach Gian Singh told The Tribune today.

“The only thing that is left to decide is whether to give a day or two to the junior team that will return from Amman on July 20 after participating in the U-20 and U-15 Asian Championships,” he added.

The former Railways coach also hinted that the trials, which will happen in New Delhi, will involve the junior and U-23 wrestlers in all the weight categories along with all the medallists in the last senior Nationals and the senior national ranking series.

“All of us are mindful that we cannot allow the wrestlers who were protesting the one-bout exemption against the winner of the first set of trials. Reason is simple: someone will approach the court as these are politically charged times,” Singh explained.

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