Trials for wrestling World Championships likely after elected body takes charge | More sports News

NEW DELHI: The ad-hoc committee for wrestling, constituted by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), is considering leaving the responsibility of organising trials for the World Championships to the newly elected office-bearers of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).

A directive to this effect is likely to be issued by the ad-hoc committee within the next day or two.

The Wrestling Federation of India is scheduled to elect its new office-bearers on August 12. If they take over the responsibility of organising the trials, they will have a very tight timeframe as the entries for the World Championships close on August 16. This leaves the newly elected officials with only four days to conduct the trials and submit the entries for the tournament.

The World Wrestling Championships are set to take place in Belgrade from September 16 to 24, 2023, and the event holds immense significance as it offers 90 quota places for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Initially, the ad-hoc panel had plans to organise the trials around August 10 and release a notification regarding the same between August 1 to 3. However, it seems they are now contemplating passing the responsibility to the elected office-bearers of the WFI, who will take charge after the elections on August 12.
However, a source close to the ad-hoc committee members said on condition of anonymity on Thursday that most of the panel members want the elected WFI office-bearers to organise the trials “to avoid more controversy”.
“The ad-hoc panel is planning to hand over the task of organising trials to the elected body. The thinking is that, the new office-bearers will still have 3-4 days to organise the trials and send the entries before the August 16 deadline,” said the source.
“The (ad-hoc) panel is planning to issue a directive in this regard in a day or two.”
The trials for the Asian Games held at the KD Jadhav Indoor Hall at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi on July 22-23 had received a lot of attention with wrestlers, their coaches and parents protesting the exemption given Olympic medallist Bajrang Punia (65kg freestyle) and Asian Games gold medallist Vinesh Phogat (53kg).
The IOA ad-hoc committee was criticised for sending the names of the winners of the trials — Antim Panghal and Vishal Kaliraman — as standbys, while Bajrang and Vinesh were the first-choice names.
Antim and Vishal had also approached the high court against the ad-hoc committee’s decision but their appeal was turned down.
Anticipating another controversy, the “ad-hoc committee wants the elected body to conduct the trials and take selection calls,” said the officials.
The mandate of the ad-hoc panel will end the day the elected office-bearers take charge on August 12, and there is talk that the new governing body could alter the selection criteria of the ad-hoc panel.
“They (new office-bearers) might say that the ad-hoc panel made two wrong selection calls (regarding giving preference to Bajrang and Vinesh for the Asian Games). The ad-hoc body might get more criticism if it announces the selection criteria for the World Championships. So, in order to avoid more controversies, the panel members want to pass on the baton and just say goodbye,” said the source.
Another source said that the United World Wrestling (UWW) could “accommodate India’s request” for extending the deadline for sending entries for World Championships beyond August 16.
(With PTI inputs)