Two-time World championships bronze medallist Vinesh Phogat will attract the maximum attention among Indian wrestlers, who will be vying for Paris Olympics quota places in the Asian Olympic Games qualifier starting in Bishkek on Friday.
Vinesh, who competed in the Tokyo Olympics in 53kg, dropped to 50kg for the trials after Antim Panghal secured the 53kg quota place by winning a World championship bronze last year. The lack of clarity whether she would be able to challenge Antim (as the quota place belongs to the country) made Vinesh take the decision.
The 29-year-old two-time Olympian, a prominent face in last year’s wrestlers’ protest against former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brijbhushan Sharan Singh, will have North Korea’s Son Hyang Kim and Uzbekistan’s Aktenge Keunimjaeva, among others, in her weight. Three Asian countries — Japan, China and Mongolia — have already booked their spots in the Olympics.
According to experts, the major challenge for Vinesh, who won the National championships at Jaipur in 55kg in February, would be to sustain her energy through the bouts even after cutting down her weight to fit into 50kg. There was a two kg weight relaxation at the trials in March.
Worlds silver medallist Anshu Malik (57kg) and World under-23 champion Reetika (76kg) will be the other contenders for Olympic berths.
Last year’s Asian champion Aman Sehrawat (57kg) and Tokyo Olympics fifth-place finisher Deepak Punia (86kg), a former Worlds silver medallist, can also earn quota places.
The biggest hurdle for India is that Deepak and Sujeet Kalkal (65kg), on their way from their training base in Dagestan to Bishkek, have been stranded at the Dubai airport since Tuesday due to the massive flooding there.
“There is no proper accommodation or food. If they manage to get onto a flight tonight, then they might reach Bishkek early tomorrow and report for weigh-in (at 8 am) and hope to fight later in the day. I wonder how they will compete!” said Sujeet’s father Dayanand.
The semifinalists in each weight will win Olympic slots.
The World Olympic Games qualifier in Istanbul from May 9 to 12 is the last qualifying event for Paris 2024.
