Vinesh, Bajrang get special treatment

Tribune News Service

Vinayak Padmadeo

New Delhi, July 18

The ad hoc committee appointed by the Indian Olympic Association to run the Wrestling Federation of India has finally come out with the criteria for the Asian Games trials.

The committee, led by Bhupinder Singh Bajwa, has decided that Vinesh Phogat (women’s 53kg category) and Bajrang Punia (men’s freestyle 65kg event) will represent India at the Asian Games without appearing in the trials. However, trials will still be held in these two weight categories to select the standby wrestlers.

The decision has come under fire from senior coaches, including ad hoc body member Gian Singh and chief coach Jagmander Singh, who have claimed that they were not included in the decision-making process.

“I do not know why my name has been mentioned in the letter. I was not even there and I have not signed any such letter,” Jagmander told The Tribune.

Gian, who was a part of the wrestling protest against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, said that the possibility of exemption for Bajrang and Vinesh was never even discussed amongst the committee members.

“We never talked about it. All I knew was that we had to follow the rules. I cannot recall that this was discussed or agreed upon when we were a part of the meeting,” Gian said.

As per the WFI selection rules for the Asian Games formulated last year, “the selection of all weight categories are mandatory, however, the selection committee will have the discretion to select the iconic players like the medallists of Olympics/World Championships without trials provided recommendation from the chief coach/foreign expert”.

“The rule says that either the chief coach or the foreign expert has to recommend the exception,” said a source. “We do not have a foreign expert as of now and the chief coach has not recommended sending Bajrang and Vinesh without trials so everyone in the wrestling community is wondering who has decided on this unfair rule,” the source added.

The Asian Games trials will be held at the IG Stadium here on July 22-23. The women’s and Greco-Roman bouts are scheduled for the first day and the freestyle competition will be held on the second.

The last date for sending the entries is July 20. Medallists at the last national championships, senior open ranking tournament, National Games, U20 & U23 world and Asian championships, and participants at the ranking series events, world & Asian championships, Commonwealth Games and Tokyo Olympics can send their entries for the trials.

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