Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia to be exempt from Asian Games wrestling trials

Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia were among the key members of the wrestlers’ protest against former WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan SIngh. PTI

The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) ad-hoc panel has decided to hand Olympic medallist Bajrang Punia and World Championship medallist Vinesh Phogat direct entries into the Asian Games, a decision allegedly taken without consulting with national coaches.

In a circular, the IOA ad-hoc panel said it has already selected a wrestler in men’s freestyle 65kg and women’s 53kg but trials would be held in all six weight categories in each of the three styles.

While the ad-hoc panel did not categorically name either Punia or Phogat in the circular, panel member Ashok Garg confirmed to news agency PTI that the two wrestlers have been exempted from trials that are scheduled to take place on 22-23 July.

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The move to exempt Bajrang and Vinesh from trials has not gone down well with fellow competitors who have threatened to move court.

Both wrestlers, and Sakshi Malik, were face of the protest against outgoing WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. They had accused Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of sexual harassment, intimidation, stalking and inappropriate touching.

Phogat is the only Indian woman wrestler to clinch a gold medal at both the Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games. At Birmingham in 2022, she completed a hat-trick of gold medals at the Commonwealth Games.

Punia has been twice clinched gold medals at the Commonwealth Games, including the latest edition of the quadrennial event and also has a silver medal at the Olympics, in 2020 in Tokyo.

The rescheduled Asian Games are slated to be held in the Chinese city of Hangzhou from September 23.

In the trials, set to take place at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi, greco-roman and women’s freestyle matchups are scheduled for July 22, while the men’s freestyle trials will be held on July 23.

Bajrang, who competes in the 65kg category, is currently training in Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan. Meanwhile, Vinesh, a 53kg wrestler, is training in Budapest, Hungary.