Vinesh Phogat, Anshu Malik, and Reetika have secured Paris Olympics quotas for India in wrestling. Vinesh Phogat made a remarkable comeback to the international arena after leading a prolonged protest against former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. She secured the Paris Olympics quota in the women’s 50kg category with an impressive performance at the Asian Olympic Qualifier held on Saturday.

Joining her in punching their tickets to the Paris Olympics were Anshu Malik in the 57kg category and U23 world champion Reetika in the 76kg category, both reaching the final of the tournament with solid performances.

With these achievements, India has now secured four quota places for the Paris Games, as Antim Panghal had previously earned a quota in the 53kg category with a bronze medal-winning performance at the World Championships last year.

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However, it remains to be seen whether the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) will allow the quota winners to represent India or conduct a final selection trial to pick the national wrestling team.

In the Tokyo Games, India fielded a strong seven-wrestler team, with four women—Seema Bisla (50kg), Vinesh Phogat (53kg), Anshu Malik (57kg), and Sonam Malik (62kg). As of now, no male wrestler has earned a quota for the Paris Games, with the last opportunity to secure one coming at the World Qualifiers in Turkey from May 9.

Vinesh Phogat, aged 29, has now secured her third straight Olympic quota, previously featuring in the Rio Games (2016) and Tokyo (2020). Despite facing challenges due to months of lost training amid protests and legal battles, Vinesh showcased her dominance by demolishing her opponents one by one and securing the coveted quota spot.

“It’s been very difficult. At one stage, it felt impossible. But this is a job half done,” she told The Indian Express from Bishkek, where the Asian Qualifying Tournament is being held.

“It was a big health risk to drop down to 50 kg. I was advised against it by doctors because they feared it could lead to injuries. However, it was a do-or-die situation for me. I would have regretted it if I sat at home in a healthy state and saw the Olympics on TV. So, I decided to take a risk,” she added.

The only Indian wrestler who couldn’t reach the semifinals in the tournament was Nisha Dahiya in the 68kg category.