CHENNAI: The last date for the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to send Asian Games final entries to the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) might be July 15 but it could get delayed by at least a month. Even if the IOA sends entries from other sports in time, a list comprising selected wrestlers for the quadrennial event could only be sent latest by August 15. It is learnt that the IOA has requested the OCA in this regard.
It is understood that the ball was set rolling by a delegation consisting of wrestlers, who staged a protest against the former chief of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. In their bid to qualify for the Asian Games, these wrestlers including Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik have written to the sports ministry to hold the selection trials by August 10 so that they can get preparation time of close to two months. The ministry agreed.
"The ministry in turn asked the ad-hoc committee, which was formed by the IOA to run the WFI, to seek an exemption from the OCA. As it's the IOA that communicates with the OCA, the ad-hoc committee has written to the former to make the request seeking an extension in submitting the wrestlers' list," sources in the know of things told this daily. The sources said the IOA has made the request to the OCA. "The ad-hoc committee has intimated sports ministry that a request in this regard has been made by the IOA to the OCA and its reply is awaited."
If the request is accepted, the trials in six Olympic weight categories will be held by August 10 wherein Bajrang, Vinesh, Sakshi and others who staged the protest are expected to compete. However, it might complicate the issue as well as the Asian Games will be preceded by the World Championships wherein 10 wrestlers each from men's freestyle and Greco-Roman apart from women's wrestling will compete. The wrestlers including Bajrang and Vinesh have started practising at different venues.
The Worlds, which is also an Olympic qualifier, is scheduled in Belgrade, Serbia from September 16 to 24 while the wrestling competitions in the Asiad are from October 4 to 7 in Hangzhou, China. While the official entries for Asiad will be sent by the IOA, the world's entries have to be sent by the WFI. "As per the election schedule, a newly-elected executive committee of the WFI will come into existence on July 6. If everything goes as per schedule, the WFI will organise trials for both events. It remains to be seen how it goes about the trials for both events," added the sources.
The ad-hoc committee member Bhupender Singh Bajwa could not be contacted for his comments on the development. As far as elections are concerned, the affiliated state units have started sending their list of representatives who will cast their votes during the polls. It is learnt that the ad-hoc committee has received nominations from two factions both from Maharashtra and Telangana.