Sports

Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat get direct entry for Asian Games

July 18, 2023

New Delhi: The WFI’s ad hoc panel on Tuesday granted direct entry to Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist wrestler Bajrang Punia and two-time World Championship medalist Vinesh Phogat to the Asian Games, a decision taken without the consent of the national chief coaches.

direct entry in ioa

Both the players will not have to take part in the trials for the Asian Games. He has been given exemption from trial. The Ad-hoc Committee of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has decided to hold the trials on July 22 and 23 at the KD Jadhav Indoor Stadium.

Vinesh and Bajrang will not participate in it. Both will be able to participate directly in the Asian Games. The players who have won the trials in their respective weight categories will be on standby.

The date of the trials was announced by the Ad-hoc Committee after the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) did not grant any further relaxation in the date of sending the entries. According to committee member Bhupender Singh Bajwa, there will be trials for Greco Roman and women’s category on 22, while on 23 there will be trials for freestyle category. The trials will be held in all six weight categories.

These wrestlers are preparing abroad

The IOA had asked the OCA to extend the entry date for the Asian Games till August 5, which was further extended to July 23. The organizing committee refused to give more relief than this. All the six wrestlers sitting on the agitation are currently preparing abroad. Bajrang, Jitender, Sangeeta are in Kyrgyzstan, Vinesh has gone to Hungary to play the fourth ranking tournament, while Sakshi Malik and Satyawart Kadian are preparing in the US.

Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat, was the main face of the protest alongside Sakshi Malik, Satyawart Kadian, Sangeeta Phogat, Jitendra Kinha against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and its former president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.