Olympics 2024: Two Tokyo Medallists To Miss Paris After WFI Decides to Hold No Wrestling Trials

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Ravi Dahiya's hopes of participating in the Paris Olympics have been dashed following an announcement by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI). The WFI has decided that athletes who have secured Olympic quotas will not have to undergo wrestling trials for the upcoming games.

This decision directly affects Dahiya, who competes in the men's freestyle 57kg category and won a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics.

In March, Dahiya lost to Aman Sehrawat during the IOA ad-hoc committee-held Olympic qualifiers in Sonepat. Sehrawat subsequently earned the Olympic quota in the same weight category during the World Olympic Wrestling Qualifiers in May.

This ruling means Dahiya, along with other Tokyo Olympic medallists like bronze medallist Bajrang Punia, will not be representing India in Paris.

Punia's situation is compounded by his provisional suspension by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) for refusing to provide a urine sample during the trials in March.

Punia left the premises after losing to Rohit Kumar and did not stay for the third-place bout, leaving NADA officials unable to collect the required sample. This suspension prevents him from participating in any competitions or trials until the matter is resolved. However, WFI's intervention on the matter may turn things around for Punia.

The WFI's decision to exempt quota winners from trials was influenced by concerns over potential injuries impacting India's medal chances.

"We discussed the issue, and both chief coaches were also of the view that trials could lead to injuries and impact India's medal chances. So we have decided not to hold trials," Sanjay Singh, WFI president, told PTI after the meeting.

The WFI clarified that the exemption is a one-off decision and should not set a precedent for future selections.

"It was unanimously decided by the selection committee that all the quota earning wrestlers have been exempted from the selection trials for 2024 Paris Olympic Games only as a one-time exception in current peculiar circumstances, but this decision will not be applicable for any other future selection criteria," read the minutes of the meeting.

Vinesh Phogat (50kg), Antim Panghal (53kg), Reetika Hooda (76kg), Nisha Dahiya (68kg), and Anshu Malik (57kg) have qualified in the women's competition while only Aman Sehrawat (57kg) has earned the quota in men's freestyle competition.

The WFI also stated that the Indian coaches would assess the quota winners at the Ranking Series event and the subsequent training camp in Budapest. If any quota winner is deemed unfit, a replacement may be considered before July 8.

This decision ensures that no wrestler carries an injury into the Olympics, focusing on maintaining the athletes' optimal condition to maximize India's medal prospects at the Paris