IOA ad-hoc committee and WFI to conduct selection trials for Asian Wrestling championships and Olympic qualifiers

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA)-appointed ad-hoc committee, with some support from the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), is all set to conduct the selection trials for next month’s Asian wrestling championships and Asian Olympic Games qualifier in Bishkek at Sonipat and Patiala on Sunday and Monday.

Following uncertainties due to the ad-hoc committee and the WFI announcing same dates for the trials, the Delhi High Court ordered in favour of the former conducting the trials while the United World Wrestling (UWW) underlined that it would receive the entries only from its affiliated national federation (the WFI).

After UWW’s communication on Friday, the ad-hoc committee – which had earlier decided to consider only the wrestlers who competed in the National championships conducted by it in Jaipur apart from some wrestlers who performed well in 2022 and 2023 – and the national federation have prepared a combined list including those who participated in the WFI-organised Pune Nationals, earlier not recognised by the Government.

ALSO READ | I won’t return to competitive wrestling: Sakshi Malik

It is learnt the ad-hoc committee, the WFI and the Government will send their representatives to the trials.

The last date for sending entries for the Asian championships is March 11, while the deadline for the Olympic qualifiers is March 19.

Some top wrestlers, including Olympic silver medallist Ravi Dahiya and Aman Sehrawat (57kg), Olympic bronze medallist Bajrang Punia (65kg), Worlds medallists Deepak Punia (86kg), Antim Panghal (53kg), Vinesh Phogat (55kg), Anshu Malik (57kg) and Sarita Mor (59kg), have been named in the list of participants.

The men’s freestyle and Greco Roman trials will be held in Sonipat on Tuesday and the women’s trials at Patiala on Wednesday.