State federations may get permission to field wrestlers in Asian Games trials
The Indian Olympic Association’s ad-hoc committee may allow state wrestling federations to field their selected wrestlers in the selection trials for the Asian Games even if they do not meet the eligibility criteria for winning a medal in any of the prescribed tournaments as per the new selection policy. Be The trials for the Asian Games will be held in the third week of June. Its date will be announced this week. The Asian Games, which were postponed due to the Corona epidemic last year, will be held in Hangzhou, China from 23 September.
The Wrestling Federation of India last year formulated a policy under which only wrestlers who have won medals in national championships, national ranking tournaments, Federation Cup, international tournaments, apart from promising junior players, can take part in the trials. Ad-hoc committee member Bhupendra Singh Bajwa had initially hinted at open trials but the coaches and referees advised restricting them to medal winners. A source said, “It would have been very difficult to complete the open trial in the stipulated time. It is proposed that if the State Association feels that there is a suitable candidate even if he has not won a medal, he may put such a candidate in the trial.
The final decision on this will be taken soon, he said. The trials will be around June 20. Its date will be announced in a day or two. If the state union fields its candidates in ten categories in three styles, then the number of contestants will increase considerably. Bajwa, several coaches, referees and SAI officials attended the meeting on Monday. This was the second meeting of the committee. Earlier, Bajwa had a meeting with the concerned parties in Meerut. The source also said that star wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia, who are on strike against Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, will not be barred from attending the trial.
“There was no question of barring her participation or participation in the trial because of the protest,” he said. Bajwa wants to give full chance to every deserving candidate for selection.” Sakshi Malik, who was involved in the protest, will not be able to take part in the trials as her name did not figure in the long list sent by the WFI to the IOA. Meanwhile, many women wrestlers do not want to participate in the national camp at the SAI Center in Lucknow. On the other hand, parents of many are against joint camp of women and men wrestlers in Sonepat.
The source said, “The joint national camp was also discussed in the meeting. The members were told that the parents of the women wrestlers were against it. They are afraid that if this happens the number of love affairs will increase. This is the reason why two separate camps are being organized since 2013. Women wrestlers want to practice at Delhi’s IG Stadium but there is no hostel there. The SAI Center in Patiala has only one hall for wrestling and weightlifting. A camp can also be organized in Gandhinagar (Gujarat) but it has to be seen whether the wrestlers are ready for it or not.
