Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Sanjay Singh has confirmed that there will be no trials held to select wrestlers for the Paris Olympics 2024. Instead, the wrestlers who have secured Olympic quotas will directly represent India at the multi-sport event. This decision puts an end to the speculation surrounding the selection process, as there were earlier reports suggesting the possibility of trials.
Vinesh Phogat, a medalist at the World Championships, had urged WFI, the Centre, and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to provide clarity on the date, venue, and format of the trials. Subsequently, Nisha and Reetika, two women’s wrestlers who secured Olympic quotas for India, also advocated against conducting trials due to various concerns such as time constraints, injury risks, and the need to lose weight for the trials.
Sanjay Singh mentioned that a meeting of the trials committee was convened, attended by selection committee members and the coaches of the men’s and women’s teams. The unanimous decision was made to allow the quota winners to represent India at the Olympics.
Sanjay expressed hope that this decision would alleviate the pressure on the players, allowing them to focus on their preparation. He assured that the athletes would receive the best training facilities abroad, in consultation with the coaches.
Former Olympic medalist wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt welcomed the decision, noting that it provides clarity to the players. He emphasized the importance of hard work and expressed optimism about India’s chances, hoping for at least two medals. Dutt also praised the morale of the wrestlers, particularly the new talent in the sport.
India secured two quotas for the Paris Olympics 2024 at the World Olympic Wrestling Qualifiers in May, bringing the total number of quotas earned by Indian wrestlers to six. Aman Sehrawat and Nisha Dahiya secured the quotas in men’s and women’s wrestling, respectively. Despite efforts, India couldn’t secure a quota in Greco-Roman wrestling during the qualifiers.
