Indian Olympic Association’s (IOA) request to postpone the July 15 deadline for submitting information about the nation’s wrestling squad for the 2023 Asian Games may not be granted by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA).
As a result of their protracted protest, wrestlers who voiced their opposition against the WFI president will have to show up for the 2023 Asian Games trials ill-prepared.
The IOA must submit the names of the competing athletes by July 15 for the 2023 Asian Games, which are set to begin in Hangzhou, China, on September 23.
Why wrestlers will be under-prepared for 2023 Asian Games Trials?
Protesting Wrestlers including Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, and Sakshi Malik want to be well-prepared for the Asiad trials and have asked for extra time to be in top physical and mental condition. They asked the Ministry of Sports to hold the trials in August.
IOA contacted OCA on Friday on behalf of the wrestlers.
According to a source with knowledge of the situation, it would be challenging for the OCA to grant the IOA’s request to delay the submission of player names until August as made by six protesting wrestlers.
“OCA has to manage 45 countries and 40 sports disciplines at the Asian Games. To accede to IOA’s request for extending the deadline for wrestlers by almost a month-and-a-half will be very difficult.”
“Let’s see what happens. OCA is still studying it. If it was a matter of 4-5 days, it was not an issue but delaying it for 40-45 days is just not feasible,” said the source.
The insider did add that the OCA would “not like to get involved” in a nation’s local politics surrounding a specific sport.
“It (OCA) is an Asian organisation, it has to go by the rules of Asian committee. If OCA entertains a request from one country, then there are 45 other countries who will raise questions and ask OCA to also accommodate their requests,” source said.
In order to submit the names to the IOA before the June 30 deadline assigned to all National Sports Federations (NSFs), the IOA ad-hoc committee was eager to hold the trials during the last week of June.
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