The much-awaited trials for the Wrestling World Championships are slated to take place on August 25-26 in Patiala, as divulged by the ad-hoc committee on Monday. However, the cloud of uncertainty surrounding the participation of notable wrestlers, Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat, persists.
Both Punia and Vinesh were previously exempted from the Asian Games trials, a decision that sparked a significant uproar within the wrestling community. Most of the criticisms were directed at the ad-hoc panel's decision-making.
The committee, appointed by the IOA, has made it clear that no exemptions will be provided for the upcoming World Championships trials. Yet, the reluctance of Bajrang and Vinesh to confirm their participation remains a concerning factor. An unnamed member from the ad-hoc panel disclosed to PTI, "Bajrang and Vinesh are not giving us any clarity if they will compete in the Worlds trials. And if they do not want to compete then we do not need to hold trials for six Olympic weight classes again."
The wrestling community has already voiced concerns over the frequency of trials in a limited timeframe, highlighting the risk it poses to their health and the potential for injuries.
The World Championships, which kick off on September 16, will pave the way for the first qualifying event for the Paris Olympics 2024. The ad-hoc committee has set certain criteria for athlete shortlisting, emphasizing that medalists and participants from major events in 2022 and 2023, along with the Tokyo Olympics 2022, must appear for the trials.
The deadline for entering names for the Worlds is August 16. However, due to ongoing uncertainties linked to the WFI elections, United World Wrestling (UWW) has, in principle, agreed to extend India's deadline.
Addressing the urgency of the situation, the head of the ad-hoc panel, Bhupender Singh Bajwa, stated, "Since this is an Olympic qualification tournament, we couldn't have delayed the trials any further."
Trials will cover a range of weight categories across Freestyle, Greco-roman, and Women's wrestling. Depending on the number of eligible wrestlers, either the Nordic system or direct elimination format will be adopted. The panel is also considering the introduction of a "seeding system" during these trials.
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