The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) will not conduct any trials to select India’s 2024 Paris Olympics contingent, the federation’s president Sanjay Singh confirmed on Tuesday (21 May). Following this announcement, the six wrestlers who had earned quotas for the Olympics will be featuring in Paris.
Previously, it was expected that national selection trials would be held to select the wrestlers who would represent India at the Olympics. However, with many wrestlers requesting the WFI to not conduct the trials, so as not to hinder their preparation, the federation has decided to send the quota winners to the event, as has been the case till 2021.
Confirming WFI’s decision, president Sanjay Singh commented:
Five wrestlers had written to us to not hold trials as it will affect their preparation. They will have to reduce weight and it will shift their focus on trials. Since there is little time left for the Paris Olympics, the selection committee has decided to not hold trials and select the quota winners for the Olympics team, as WFI has been doing previously.Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh
Five female wrestlers – Vinesh Phogat, Antim Panghal, Anshu Malik, Nisha Dahiya and Reetika Hooda – and one male wrester, Aman Sehrawat, will form India’s six-strong wrestling contingent for the Paris Olympics.
For Vinesh, who recently earned her quota at the Asian Qualification Tournament, the decision implies she will have to compete in the weight category she earned her quota in (50kg) with Antim Panghal competing in 53kg – the category Vinesh competed in at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
India’s wrestling contingent at the 2024 Paris Olympics:
Men
Aman Sehrawat – 57kg
Women
Vinesh Phogat – 50kg
Antim Panghal – 53kg
Anshu Malik – 57kg
Nisha Dahiya – 68kg
Reetika Hooda – 76kg
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