Olympic medallist Ravi Dahiya has been knocked out of Asian Games wrestling trials by Atish Todkar by 20-8 in a 57-kilogram bout in Delhi on Sunday.
The bout also saw Dahiya suffer a “rare” pin.
This was Dahiya’s first outing since he was ruled out of action by ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) and MCL (Medial Collateral Ligament) injuries in his right knee.
Punia and Phogat’s exemption from trials
The trials came amid a wave of controversy as Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat’s exemptions from the trials prompted protests from others. The Delhi High Court also struck down a petition filed by wrestlers Antim Panghala and Sujeet Kalkal against the exemptions.
While the ad-hoc committee gave an exemption to these two players, it said trials would still be held in their categories and the winners would be kept as reserves. The WFI’s policy states that ‘iconic players’ are eligible for exemption from trials. The selection trails in all weight categories are mandatory. “However, the Selection Committee will have the discretion to select the iconic players like medallists of Olympic / World Championship without trials provided recommendation by Chief Coach / Foreign Expert,” the guidelines state.
However, an Indian Express earlier said that Dahiya’s exemption was also discussed. However, the committee said that while he is eligible for an exemption, his recent injuries have raised a question over his preparedness. The coaches and committee members felt a trial was necessary in his case.
Sakshi Malik was also not given an exemption.
Outgoing WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is facing sexual harassment charges, earlier called Punia and Phigat’s exemption “unfortunate”. He told PTI that he was “pretty anguished” by the decision, adding it will hurt the sport of wrestling in India. “A lot of people have worked hard to lift this sport. The athletes, their parents, the fans of the sport, all have worked hard,” he said.
(With Agency Inputs)