Wrestling trials for Olympic qualifiers and Asian wrestling championships postponed

The selection trials for the upcoming Olympic qualifiers and Asian wrestling championships have been postponed to March 10 and 11, the adhoc committee running the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) said in a statement on Friday.

Earlier, the trials were scheduled to be held from February 27 to 29.

The adhoc panel said that the trials are being postponed because of the delay in organising the National championships, which concluded in Jaipur on Monday, and “unavoidable circumstances.”

According to reliable sources, the trials were shifted to March in order to give more time to some

DThe trials for men (freestyle and Greco-Roman) will be held at Sonepat, while Patiala will host the women’s trials

Antim Panghal (53kg) will be given a direct entry to compete at the Asian championships

experienced wrestlers, including a few who participated in the protests against the WFI top brass last year. A leading face of the protest, twotime World championships bronze medallist Vinesh Phogat, returned to competition in Jaipur after her knee surgery and won the women’s 55kg crown.

The trials for men (freestyle and GrecoRoman) will be held at Sonepat, while Patiala will host the women’s trials.

“The winner of the trials in Olympic weight categories will represent

India in upcoming Olympic qualifiers, including the Asian Olympic qualifiers (April 1921) and World Olympic qualifiers (May 912),” said the statement.

The secondplaced athletes in Olympic categories and the winners in nonOlympic weight categories will compete in the Asian championships in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, from April 11 to 16.

Antim Panghal (53kg), who landed a bronze in the World championships last year and has been the only Indian wrestler to win an Olympic quota place so far, will be given a direct entry to compete at the Asian championships. Indian wrestlers can win 17 more quota places in the remaining two qualifiers.