Asian Games Wrestling Trials: Antim Panghal to move Supreme Court after Delhi HC dismisses petition

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Antim Panghal has confirmed that she will approach the Supreme Court soon after Delhi High Court earlier on Saturday refused to interfere in the selection process of the Asian Games 2023. The young wrestler also won the 53kg wrestling trials on the day and is now going to be on standby for the weight category to Vinesh Phogat, who was earlier granted direct entry by the Ad-hoc Committee.

The bench, headed by Justice Subramonium Prasad, dismissed the petition against the direct entry of Phogat and Bajrang Punia into the Asian Games, which was filed by Antim Panghal and Sujit Kalkal.

Antim refused to accept the decision by the Court and confirmed she will take the matter to the Supreme Court with the day left in the extended deadline for sending wrestling squad entry for the Asian Games in Huangzhou from September 23 to August 8.

"We will move higher court because I don't feel I deserve to be a standby," Antim Panghal told myKhel after winning the 53kg trials on Saturday. "Those who didn't appear for the trials should be the standy but I am the standy even after fighting so many bouts. Ravi Dahiya, and Deepak Punia are big wrestlers and they are here for the trials but Vinesh Phogat doesn't need to give trials, how is that fair?"

Ad-hoc Committee, who were appointed by IOA to look after the day-to-day affairs of WFI following the latter's suspension over the ongoing sexual harassment case, also stood by its decision following the High Court's verdict while the wrestling trials for the Asian Games began in New Delhi on Saturday.

With the entry list's extended deadline ending tomorrow, Antim Panghal's chances of making it to the Asian Games took further a hit as the Supreme Court may not be able to intervene in the matter with further entry closed.

Once IOA send the wrestling entry list to the Asian Games organisers tomorrow following the completion of trials, the government will give its clearance to the list by July 26 and may drop certain names from the list if it deems so. However, they won't be able to make a new addition to the entry list with the deadline closed.

The women's freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling trials are completed on the first day while the men's freestyle trials are slated on Sunday. Pooja Gehlot (50kg), Mansi Ahlawat (57kg), Sonam Malik (62kg), Radhika (68kg), and Kiran Bishnoi (76kg) confirmed their Asian Games 2023 berth while Antim was on standby in 53kg.

Among big upsets, both Anshu Mallik and Sarita Mor couldn't make the cut in the 57kg category as Sarita lost to Mansi after defeating Anshu earlier.