Protesting wrestlers desire to train in the United States to prepare for Asian Games trials

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• Jun 22, 2023 | Dhupali Das

The protesting wrestlers, including Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia, have now written to the Sports Ministry requesting that...

Digital Desk: After asking for a delay in the Asian Games trials, the protesting wrestlers, including Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia, have now written to the Sports Ministry requesting that they want to train in Michigan, US, to get ready for the trials.

The wrestlers had previously requested that the trials be postponed to August because they needed lots of time to prepare physically and mentally for the trials.

"They have written directly to Sports Minister Anurag Thakur. The minister has forwarded the request to the Mission Olympic Cell (MOC), which has yet to discuss the matter," a Sports Ministry source told PTI.

"Vinesh, Bajrang, Sakshi Malik, Satyawart Kadian, and Sangeeta Phogat wrote the letter," he added.

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) is required to submit the names of all participating athletes to the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) by July 15, so the ad hoc panel must conduct trials before that date.

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The IOA has asked the OCA to extend the deadline to meet the wrestlers' request, although it is unclear whether India would be granted an exemption.

If the plea is denied, the IOA will be unable to give the wrestlers much time to prepare.

"The only thing the IOA can do for the wrestlers is to postpone the trials as long as possible. Wrestlers cannot have 45 days to prepare since names must be given by July 15. Trials must be completed within 20 days and no later than July 15," the source said. 

The IOA has set a June 30 deadline for all national sports federations (NSFs) to submit information about their selected squads.

Meanwhile, some wrestlers who are ready for the trials have asked the IOA, through the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), that the trials not be postponed because they are prepared for the competition.

"The wrestlers were expecting trails in the last week of June, so they kept their weight in check. Nobody wants to forego their preparation in order to accommodate these protesting wrestlers," said an IOA source.