The Under-17 Indian women’s wrestling team found themselves stranded at Queen Alia International Airport in Amman, Jordan on Saturday after missing their return flight following a highly successful outing at the World Championships.
The nine wrestlers and three coaches were set to fly back to India on Saturday evening but were booked on different flights. Coaches Jai Bhagwan, Shilpi Sheoran and Rekha Rani were scheduled to travel on an Emirates flight with a layover in Dubai, while the young wrestlers were booked with Qatar Airways.
The coaches’ flight (EK904) was supposed to depart from Amman at 6:10 PM, arriving in Dubai at 10:10 PM. From there, they had a connecting flight at 3:55 AM, scheduled to land in Delhi at 9:05 AM.
The wrestlers’ flight (QR401) was planned to leave at 8:30 PM, arriving in Doha at 11:10 PM. However, according to flight status updates, the flight actually departed earlier at 6:18 PM. It remains unclear whether this was a rescheduling issue or a communication lapse.
“There’s a lot of confusion regarding what exactly happened. These young wrestlers shouldn’t have been booked on a separate flight. SAI should’ve ensured they all travelled together. They are just kids,” said a source from the Indian contingent in Amman.
“Ideally, at least one coach should have travelled with them. Efforts are now being made to secure seats for the wrestlers on the first available flight,” the source added.
Notably, coach Jai Bhagwan is the father of Mansi Lather, who clinched the world title in the 73kg category. Both train at the Mirchpur training centre.
A Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) official, when contacted, said that arrangements were being made for the wrestlers’ stay overnight, as no flights were available on Saturday. “The WFI is currently suspended, so we’re not fully in control. We never separate coaches and young wrestlers on different flights. We’re now working to book the next available flight for them,” said the official, who requested anonymity.
The Indian women’s wrestling team made history by winning their first-ever team title at the championships, securing 185 points ahead of Japan (146) and Kazakhstan (79). The team brought home five gold medals, one silver, and two bronze across nine weight categories.
With inputs from PTI
