The three-member ad hoc committee in charge of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) on Friday announced.
The selection trials to pick teams for the upcoming Olympic Qualifiers and the Asian Championships. The trials for both the competitions will be held on March 10 and 11.
The trials were earlier scheduled for February 27-29 but due to a delay in organising the senior Nationals owing to “unavoidable circumstances”, the trials are being held at a later date, ad hoc committee chairman Bhupender Singh Bajwa said in a statement.
The trials for women wrestlers will be held at NIS Patiala while the those for Greco Roman and Freestyle wrestlers will be held in SAI Sonipat.
“The winner of the trials in the Olympic weight category will get to represent India in upcoming Olympic qualifiers like the Asian Olympic Qualifiers (April 19-21) and World Olympic Qualifiers (May 9-12). The winners in non-Olympic weight categories will represent India in Senior Asian Championships (April 11-16). The runners up in Olympic weight categories at the trials will represent India at the Senior Asian Championships,” Bajwa said.
So far, out of possible 18, only Antim Panghal (53kg) has secured an Olympic quota. Panghal will be given direct entry at the 2024 Senior Asian Championships. The Asia Olympic qualifiers as well as Asian Championships will be both held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The World Olympic Qualifiers will take place in Istanbul, Turkey.
Earlier this month, the ad hoc body conducted senior Nationals after a gap of one year in Jaipur. The event saw the return of two-time World Championships bronze medallist Vinesh Phogat to the mat after a 15-month break. Among the most prominent faces of wrestling protest, Phogat participated in the non-Olympic 55kg class and won the national title while Panghal skipped the competition.
As per UWW rules, Olympic quotas belongs to the country and not to the wrestler who has earned it, meaning a high-octane clash between Panghal and Phogat is on the cards.
“The ad hoc committee formulated a selection policy last year and trials will be conducted in accordance with the same. The trials will be held across 10 weight classes — six Olympic and four non-Olympic. All top wrestlers — Bajrang Punia, Ravi Dahiya, Deepak Punia, Vinesh Phogat — will have to appear in trials to stake a claim for the Olympics,” an official said.
India has won at least one Olympic medal in each edition of the quadrennial Games since 2008. With seven medals, wrestling remains the most successful individual sport for India at the Olympics.