Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan), Apr 18 (PTI) The spotlight will be on star wrestler Vinesh Phogat as she leads India’s hunt for the Paris Olympics quota places at the Asia qualifiers starting on Friday but Deepak Punia and Sujeet Kalakal’s chances of securing a ticket hit a roadblock after they were left stranded at the Dubai airport.
As many as 36 quotas will be up for grabs in 18 weight categories across three disciplines — freestyle, women and greco-roman — during the event, with India scheduled to represent in all but one weight category.
But while rest of the 17-member Indian squad has reached Bishkek, Deepak (86kg) and Sujeet (65kg) are racing against time to reach the country after being left stranded at the Dubai International Airport due to the unprecedented rains in the gulf nation.
The duo, who is accompanied by Russian coach Kamal Malikov and physio Shubham Gupta, have weigh-in at 8am on Friday while the bouts are scheduled later in the day. But their participation is in serious doubt with major highways and roads flooded and one of the world’s busiest airports in disarray.
For India, Antim Panghal, 19, has already sealed a quota place in women’s 53kg en route to her bronze medal winning feat at the 2023 World Wrestling Championships in Belgrade, Serbia.
And it will be time for the rest of the Indian wrestlers such as Vinesh (50kg), Reetika Hooda (76kg), the current Under-23 world champion Anshu (57kg), Mansi (62kg) and Nisha (68kg) to put their best foot forward and seal their quota places.
However, none of the Indians will be under the scanner like Vinesh, the 2018 Asian Games and 2022 Commonwealth Games medallist, who was one of the face of Indian wrestlers’ protest against former Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
The 29-year-old, who has been in the news for wrong reasons of late, had won the national trials in March in 50kg. Though, at the selection trials in Patiala, she had competed in the 53kg category as well after the authorities allowed her but she lost in the semifinals.
Vinesh, however, will be at ease going into the competition after WFI obtained the accreditation of her personal coach and physio for the tournament. She had earlier accused the national federation of trying to stop her from competing in the Asia Olympic qualifiers by creating logistical hurdles for her support staff.
Now that she will have access to her coach and physio at the competition, Vinesh will be desperate to put up a good show to make it to what could be her third Olympics.
In men’s freestyle category, Aman Sehrawat (57kg) will hog the limelight after he earned his place after outwitting Tokyo Olympic medallist Ravi Dahiya in the national trials.
He also looks in good form as he had claimed a gold at the Zagreb Open in January this year.
With Deepak Punia and Sujeet are uncertain, Jaideep (74kg), Deepak (97kg) and Sumit (125kg) will look to step up and produce their best game to claim a quota for India.
There will be no gold, repechage or bronze-medal bouts in the continental qualifiers with winners of both semi-finals in each Olympic weight class earning a quota for their countries at the Paris Games.
In greco-roman, Sumit (60kg), Ashu (67kg), Vikas (77kg), Sunil (87kg), Nitesh (97kg) and Naveen (130kg) will look for a good show. PTI ATK SSC SSC
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