Antim Panghal, the reigning Under-20 World Champion, has questioned the Indian Olympic Association's ad-hoc committee's decision to give Vinesh Phogat an exemption from taking part in the trials for the Asian Games.
Vinesh (53kg) and Bajrang Punia (65kg) were given direct entries for the Asian Games by the Indian Olympic Association's ad-hoc committee on Tuesday, while other wrestlers will have to book their places in the Indian squad through selection trials on July 22 and 23.
The 19-year-old Panghal, who competes in the same category as Vinesh, asked on what basis the latter was given a direct entry into the Indian squad despite. Vinesh has not competed since winning bronze at the World Championships in September last year, but the Wresting Federation of India's (WFI) rulebook states that reigning Olympic and World medallists can be exempted from trials.
"Vinesh Phogat has received a direct entry for the Asian Games when she had not done any practice in the last year. She doesn't have any achievement in the last year," Panghal said in a video.
Antim had won silver at the 2023 Asian Championships - an event Vinesh had missed due to the protests against the WFI.
"Last year, in the Junior World Championships, I won a gold medal and became the first woman wrestler from India to achieve this feat. In the 2023 Asian Championships, I won a silver medal, but Vinesh has no achievement to show in the last year. She was also injured," she said.
"Sakshi Malik has also won an Olympic medal, she too is not being sent. What is so special about Vinesh that she is being sent? Just organise trials. I am not saying that I am the only one who can beat Vinesh. There are several other girls who can beat her," she said.
Antim alleged that she was cheated during the Birmingham Commonwealth Games trials last year. "When the CWG trials were taking place, I had bouts against her, then also they (officials) cheated me. I said koi nahin (it's okay), I will try to qualify for the Olympics by going to the (Hangzhou) Asian Games. But now they are saying they will send Vinesh. This is not done.
"They are also saying that the one who goes for the Asian Games will also go for the World Championships and the one who wins a medal at the Worlds will go to the Olympics (in Paris). We have also been training hard for years. So, what about us? Should we leave wrestling?"
(With inputs from PTI)
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