Asian Games: Protesting wrestlers keen to train in United States to prepare for mega event

The protesting wrestlers, including Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia, have written to the Sports Ministry requesting permission to train in Michigan, US, in order to get ready for the Asian Games trials. The wrestlers had earlier asked the Sports Ministry to postpone the trials until August so they would have enough time to prepare physically and mentally.

A report in PTI, quoting sources, said that the wrestlers have written directly to Sports Minister Anurag Thakur. The minister has forwarded the request to the Mission Olympic Cell (MOC), which is yet to discuss the issue, the source added.

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According to the report, Vinesh, Bajrang, Sakshi Malik, Satyawart Kadian and Sangeeta Phogat have written the letter.

The wrestlers have been calling for the arrest of retiring WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, whom they claim has sexually abused several female wrestlers, including a kid.

The ad-hoc panel must conduct trials before July 15 since the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) must give the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) the names of every athlete who will be competing by that date. The IOA has requested a deadline extension from the OCA to fulfil the wrestlers' request, but it is unclear that India would receive a waiver.

The IOA will not be able to give the wrestlers much time to prepare if the plea is denied.

According to the source, as reported by PTI, "The only favour IOA can do to the wrestlers is to delay the trials as much as possible. Names have to be given before July 15, so wrestlers can't have 45 days to prepare. Maximum 20 days, trials have to be conducted before July 15."

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All national sports federations (NSFs) have been given until June 30 by the IOA itself to provide information regarding the squads they have chosen.

While this is going on, a number of wrestlers who are qualified for the trials have asked the IOA, via the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), that the trials not be postponed because they are qualified for the match.

An IOA source told PTI, "The wrestlers were expecting trails in the last week of June, so they have maintained their weight accordingly. No one wants to compromise on their training for these protesting wrestlers."