HC refuses to interfere with Asian Games trials exemption to wrestlers
Under-20 world champion Antim Panghal and Under-23 Asian cham- pion Sujeet Kalkal had moved the court challenging the special treatment to Phogat and Punia.
Vinesh Phogat
NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court Saturday refused to interfere with the exemption granted to top wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia from the Asian Games trials and dismissed a petition by two well-known grapplers against their direct entry into the Indian squad for the tournament. Under-20 world champion Antim Panghal and Under-23 Asian cham- pion Sujeet Kalkal had moved the court challenging the special treatment to Phogat and Punia.
Justice Subramonium Prasad said although the petitioners them- selves have also “excelled” in the field of wrestling, the court was not inclined to sit in appeal over the decision taken by an expert committee which unanimously decided that being “elite athletes”, Phogat and Punia should be exempted from trials in order to prevent injury to them.
Both Punia and Phogat, the court observed, are “world renowned athletes in the sport of wrestling” and feature in the “World Top 10” rankings, and the decision to grant them direct entry cannot be said to be arbitrary. “The Ad-hoc Committee of the WFI, which comprises experts in the field of wrestling, have unanimously decided that Respondents No.3 (Punia) & 4 (Phogat), who are elite athletes, should be exempted from selection trials in order to prevent them from suffering any injury in the selection process,” the court said.
“The Asian Games are to begin in about two months’ time and in case injury is caused to the elite athletes, who are medal probables, the time for recovery is extremely low and, therefore, the decision taken by the Committee to exempt Respondents No.3 & 4 from selection trials in order to ensure that they are not to exposed to injuries during trials cannot be said to be arbitrary or capricious or perverse,” the court ruled.
Phogat (53kg) and Punia (65kg) were given direct entry into the Indi- an squad for the Asian Games by the Indian Olympic Association’s ad-hoc committee on Tuesday, while other wrestlers will have to earn their plac- es in the Indian squad through selection trials on July 22 and 23.
