Wrestling trials for Olympic Qualifiers, Asian C'ships scheduled for March

The Indian wrestling fraternity gears up for crucial selection trials as the ad-hoc committee overseeing the sport announced the dates for picking the national team for the upcoming Olympic Qualifiers and Asian Championships.

The trials are set to take place on March 10-11, with venues in Patiala and Sonipat.

Initially slated for February 27-29, the trials were rescheduled due to delays in organizing the senior national championships. The trials for women wrestlers will be conducted at NSNIS Patiala, while those for greco roman and freestyle grapplers will be held at SAI Sonipat.

In an official statement, the ad-hoc committee, headed by Bhupender Singh Bhajwa, stated, "The ad-hoc committee will be organizing the selection trials for selecting the Indian wrestling team for the upcoming Olympic Qualifiers & Asian Championships on March 10-11, 2024. Earlier the trials were announced to be held on 27-29 February 2024. However, because of a delay in organizing the 2023 Senior National Championships due to unavoidable circumstances, the trials are being postponed."

The winners in Olympic weight categories at the trials will secure berths to represent India in the upcoming Asian Olympic Qualifiers (April 19-21) and World Olympic Qualifiers (May 9-12). Additionally, victors in non-Olympic weight categories will lead the Indian contingent at the Senior Asian Championships (April 11-16), while runners-up in Olympic weight categories will also represent the nation in the same event.

Antim (53kg) earns a direct entry to the 2024 Asian Championships, having secured an Olympic quota in the 53kg category with a bronze medal at the 2023 World Championships.

Indian wrestlers can still win 17 quotas for the 2024 Paris Olympics (five in women's wrestling, six in greco roman, and six in freestyle).

The ad-hoc committee was formed by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) following the suspension of the Sanjay Singh-led Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) for constitutional violations.

Sanjay Singh is a close associate of the former WFI President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh who is facing charges of sexual harassment.