Bajrang and Vinesh could miss Asian Games if they lose World Championship trials
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If Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia lose the next trials for the World Championships, they would not be allowed to participate at the upcoming Asian Games, as per a report. Both these wrestlers have got entry into the Asiad squad without appearing in the trials.
When they staged a sit-in protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar from April 21 to May 28, Punia, Phogat, and four other wrestlers asked for time until August 10 to get ready for the trials. To receive wrestling submissions by name, the Olympic Council Asia (OCA) did not extend the deadline past July 23.
The wrestling community was outraged by the IOA ad-hoc panel's decision to conduct trials but exclude Punia and Phogat, claiming bias in the decision.
"We will propose to the panel that only if Bajrang and Vinesh win the World Championship trials, only then they should be sent for the Asian Games, otherwise not. If Bajrang loses the trial then he will be on stand-by and the winner of the Asian Games trial (Vishal Kaliraman) will go," Gian Singh, a member of the panel told PTI.
Since they won the Asian Games trials in events where Bajrang and Vinesh participate, Kaliraman (men's freestyle 65 kg) and Antim Panghal (women's 53 kg) are currently on standby.
The top four finishers in the weight divisions for the Olympic Games and one of the six wrestlers who protested (in the appropriate category) will be combined to form one group.
"We are proposing that the two third-place winners (in July 22-23 trials) should play an eliminator between them and the winner will be pitted against the trial winner. The exempted wrestler will be pitted against the grappler who lost the final.
"Then the winners of these bouts should clash against each other to win a place in Indian team for Worlds," Gian Singh explained.
"This is what we are going to propose in the next ad-hoc committee meeting. Let's see if they agree." Sakshi Malik, her husband Satyawart Kadian, Jitender Kinha, and Punia's wife Sangeeta Phogat are the additional wrestlers who will be assigned to these groups in addition to Punia and Vinesh.
The Asian Games trials did not feature Sakshi, Sangeeta, Kadian, or Kinha. The wrestlers believe it is unjust to force them to compete in the trials again after they previously put in a lot of effort to win the Asian Games trials.
"We have just finished trials. Now do we train or again start preparing for another trial (for Worlds). This is torturous. It's very hard on the body. It's time to start preparing for the big tournament rather than stay worried about weight-cut that takes a toll on the body," said a wrestler who won the Asian Games trial.
"It makes no sense to organise the trials again. They are not helping the wrestlers. It's a tough sport." Gian Singh, however, stated that everyone must show up for the trials.