Wrestlers Request Exemption from Trials Ahead of Paris Olympics

Four Indian wrestlers who have secured quota berths for the Paris Olympics have appealed to the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) to exempt them from selection trials, citing the proximity of the Games and the potential impact on their preparation.

Aman Sehrawat (57kg), Reetika Hooda (76kg), Nisha Dahiya (68kg), and Anshu Malik (57kg) have individually written to the WFI, requesting their selection without trials. They argue that with only 10 weeks remaining before the Olympics, every day of training is crucial and that preparing for additional competitions would disrupt their plans.

"It leaves us with just 10 weeks of preparation time before the event, which is already less considering the timelines. Every single day of training is very important for me. Around this crucial time, preparing for another competition again affects my training plan, my diet, weight maintenance, and I will lose out on a lot of practice sessions because of this," one wrestler wrote in their letter.

The wrestlers also expressed concerns about the risk of injuries at this stage. "It is too close to the Paris Olympics. If trials are held, all our focus will be on that instead of preparation towards Paris," said one wrestler.

The WFI has scheduled a selection committee meeting on Tuesday to discuss the wrestlers' request. A member of the committee acknowledged the wrestlers' concerns and stated that all aspects would be considered.

"There is no doubt the Paris Olympics are very close and you want the wrestlers to completely focus on preparation at this point. The selection committee will look into every aspect," said the member.

If the trials are not held, Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Ravi Dahiya will not have a second chance to qualify in the 57kg category.

India has a strong tradition in wrestling, having won at least one medal in the last four Olympics. The country's wrestlers have won a total of seven medals in the sport.

Tags: #Wrestling, #ParisOlympics, #SelectionTrials, #WFI, #AmanSehrawat