Ravi too 'declined' exemption offer?
CHENNAI: The 2016 Rio Olympic bronze medallist Sakshi Malik made a startling revelation on Thursday claiming she was approached by the government to write an email if she wants an exemption from the Asian Games selection trials like Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat.
Interestingly, she is not the lone wrestler to receive the call as the 2020 Tokyo Olympic silver medallist Ravi Dahiya too apparently was contacted for the same reason.
Ravi, like Sakshi, according to sources, declined to write an email requesting an exemption from the trials. He instead insisted on featuring in the selection trials to rightfully claim his place in the national squad for the quadrennial event.
"Ravi also got a call from authorities concerned to write an email but he declined the exemption offer," a source in the know of things claimed to this daily.
"He told them that he will try to claim his place in the team by taking part in the trials."
However, the ad hoc committee later said that Ravi was not given direct entry because of fitness concerns. "It was because of a fitness issue that Ravi was not given an exemption," a highly-placed source at the ad-hoc panel, which is running the sport in the country in the absence of the Wrestling Federation of India, told this daily.
However, Parveen Dahiya, chief coach at the iconic Chhatrasal Stadium where Ravi trains, trashed the fitness concern and said, "He has been training hard here at the facility. He is mentally and physically ready for the trials to date. You never know in sports but I can guarantee you Ravi will compete in the trials on Sunday provided nothing unpleasant happens to him in the next two days."
Notably, Ravi was scheduled to make his international return at the Bishkek Ranking Series in Kyrgyzstan in June after his first-round loss at the World Championships in September last year. However, he injured his right knee during training and had to forfeit his bout in the tournament.
The official injury report, which is in possession of this daily, says the wrestler got injured on June 4 during training. "Moderate (treated on mat with further follow-up at the clinic)," says the section where the severity of the injury is being mentioned in the report. Signed by the UWW doctor, the report also stated estimated absence (from the mat) is three weeks.
The ad-hoc panel cited a WFI regulation as the reason behind the move wherein Bajrang and Vinesh were given an exemption from the trials. The regulation clearly says that the iconic wrestlers who have won Olympics/World Championships medals can be exempted from the trials on a recommendation from the chief coaches. Interestingly, the wrestlers were protesting against WFI's selection policies too.