WFI names unchanged Squad for Olympic Qualifiers in Istanbul amid time constraints

The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has finalized its squad for the upcoming World Olympic Games Qualifiers (WOGQ) in Istanbul, maintaining continuity with the team that competed in the Asian Qualifiers in Bishkek.

With the tournament scheduled from May 9-13, WFI cited time constraints as the primary reason for not conducting fresh trials.

The squad for WOGQ retains most members from the previous event, with exceptions made for wrestlers who secured quota places in Bishkek, including Vinesh Phogat, Anshu Malik, and Reetika. Despite initial plans for fresh trials due to dissatisfaction with the men's team performance in Bishkek, WFI opted against it due to the tight schedule.

The stakes are high for Indian grapplers in Istanbul, with 54 Olympic quota places available across six weight classes and wrestling styles. United World Wrestling (UWW) confirmed that each weight category offers three Paris Olympic spots.

"Every weight category offers three Paris Olympic spots, one each to the two finalists and one to the winner of the playoff between the two bronze medallists," stated United World Wrestling (UWW) in a statement on Monday. 

The competition will commence with Greco-Roman on May 9, followed by women's wrestling and freestyle, culminating on May 13. 

Indian squad:

Freestyle: Aman (57kg), Sujeet (65kg), Jaideep (74kg), Deepak Punia (86kg), Deepak (97kg), Sumit (125kg).

Greco-Roman: Sumit (60kg), Ashu (67kg), Vikas (77kg), Sunil Kumar (87kg), Nitesh (97kg), Naveen (130kg).

Women's wrestling: Mansi (62kg), Nisha (68kg).