Protesting wrestlers to be allowed to compete in Asian Games trials

The adhoc panel of the Indian Olympic Association IOA is likely to allow the state wrestling associations to field deserving candidates in the Asian Games trials even if they do not meet the criteria of being a medal winner in one of the stipulated tournaments as per the new selection policy for the quadrennial extravaganza The Asian Games trials are expected to be held in the third week of June The final date will be notified this weekPostponed due to COVID19 last year the Asian Games are now set to unfold in the Chinese city of Hangzhou from September 23Also Read Farmers climb barriers to stand with protesting wrestlersThe WFI had last year devised a policy which allowed only the medal winners from the National Championships the national ranking tournaments Federation Cup and international tournaments apart from talented juniors to compete in the trials Adhoc panel member Bhupendra Singh Bajwa had initially suggested open trials but the coaches and referees advised them to restrict it to medal prospects only according to IOA sourcesIt would have been very difficult to finish the trials in the stipulated time if open trials were conducted It was proposed that if any state association feels it has a worthy candidate who does not meet the criteria of being a medallist it can field such candidate in the Asian Games trials the source told PTIIf all the state associations field candidates of their choice in each of the 10 categories in all three styles the number of participants will rise considerablyMeanwhile it was also ruled that elite wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia who are staging a sitin protest against WFI chief Brij Bhushan Singh will not be stopped from competing in the trialsIn fact it was not even mentioned or discussed if there was any restriction on their participation in the wake of the protest Mr Bajwa wanted to give every deserving candidate a fair chance to stake his claim for selection in the Indian team said a source who was part of the meetingMany women wrestlers are uncomfortable joining the national camp at Lucknow SAI centre and many parents do not want the nodal sports body to hold a combined mens and womens camp in SonepatThis combined national camp was discussed at the meeting It was brought to the notice of the panel members that parents of women wrestlers were not in favour of their daughters training alongside the mens wrestlers in Sonepat The parents fear that cases of love affairs may rise if that happens This was precisely the reason why the WFI had separated the two camps in 2013 said the sourceThe women wrestlers are comfortable training at Delhis IG stadium but it does not have a hostel to accommodate them The SAI centre in Patiala does not have a wrestling hall as it was merged with the weightlifting hallThere is an option of holding the national camp for women in Gandhi Nagar Gujarat but it remains to be seen if the athletes agree to go that far It was also proposed that the mens wresters be sent to Lucknow and the women train in Sonepat but the coaches and referees did not agree to that the source saidWith PTI inputs