The dates for the much awaited Asian Games Wrestling trials has been finalised. The IOA ad-hoc committee has confirmed that the trials will be held on July 22 and 23. However the criteria for the selection is still undecided. The status of the participation of the protesting wrestlers is also still not clear yet. It remains to be seen whether they will be given an exemption.
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The original deadline laid down by the Games Organizing Committee (HAGOC) was July 15. Due to the Wrestling protests, IOA had requested an extension. The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) on Saturday extended the deadline till July 22 for sending Indian wrestlers’ entries to the Asian Games organisers. The OCA had turned down IOA’s request of deadline extension till August 5.
Men’s Greco Roman and Women’s trials will be on July 22. The freestyle selection will happen the next day. Trials in 18 Olympic weight categories — six each in three formats (freestyle and Greco-Roman for men and free style for women) — have to be conducted by the ad-hoc committee.
WFI Asian Games Selection Trials
“We have decided to conduct trials on July 22 and 23 at the Kedar Jadhav hall in Indira Gandhi Stadium. First, we will invite the Greco-Roman and women’s wrestlers and then the men’s freestyle wrestlers. We want our interested U-20 wrestlers to compete in the Asian Games trials. They will return to India on July 21 and hence we want to give them a chance to make a case for themselves,” ad-hoc panel head Bhupender Singh Bajwa told PTI. “I will share the criteria with you all tomorrow. We are still undecided on that,” he added.
Six wrestlers — Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, Sangeeta Phogat, Satyawart Kadiyan and Jitender Kinha — had requested the IOA to give them time till August 10 to prepare for the trial. All the wrestlers were involved in the protests against WFI Chief Brij Bhushan Saran Singh.
They are currently training in different overseas locations. While Vinesh Phogat is in Budapest, Bajrang Punia, Jitender and Sangeeta are in Bishkek. While Sakshi Malik and her husband Kadiyan are in the US.
The ad-hoc panel will meet again on Friday to decide on the final criteria.
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