Top wrestlers seek time to prepare for selection trial

With two Paris Olympics qualification events left, top wrestlers have sought more time from the ad hoc panel to prepare for selection trials.

- Avishek Roy

JAIPUR: In November, the ad hoc body had announced a selection policy as per which the quota place winners will also have to face trials at home to confirm their spots.

However, the newly-elected Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) came back to power in December and said they would scrap the policy as there was no time to conduct trials, leading to much confusion among wrestlers. Now, with WFI suspended and the ad hoc body looking after administration, wrestlers want clarity about the process that will determine their berths for Paris Games.

An Olympic quota in wrestling is for the country and not the wrestler. However, the earlier WFI policy gave quota winners direct entry to the Olympics. It has been learnt that the ad hoc body will go with their policy of holding trials for the Olympics but with some change in dates. The committee has taken inputs from top wrestlers, including Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, Anshu Malik etc, who were competing here at the ongoing nationals in Jaipur.