WFI will decide which wrestler to compete in Paris, not IOA, clears federation chief Sanjay Singh

NEW DELHI: After six Indian grapplers secured Olympic quotas, Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Sanjay Singh has said that the federation will decide which wrestler will be participating at the 2024 Paris Games, "not the Indian Olympic Association (IOA)"

He said that the fresh trials will be conducted to pick the final squad for the showpiece event.

"Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) will decide which wrestler will participate in the Paris Olympics, not IOA, and there will be fresh trials as well, WFI president Sanjay Singh told IANS.

Earlier, there were reports that IOA will take a final call on wrestlers but the WFI has cleared, "we have got approval/authority/recognition from the UWW (United World Wrestling). And it will be our duty to pick the team. How can IOA take that call."

In the recently concluded World Qualifiers in Istanbul, which was the final Paris Olympics qualifying event for wrestlers, Aman Sehrawat and Nisha Dahiya took India’s number of quotas to six in wrestling.

Antim Panghal (53kg) earned India's first quota from the 2023 World Wrestling Championships while Vinesh Phogat (50kg), Anshu Malik (57kg) and Reetika Hooda (76kg) added further quotas at the Asian Qualifiers held in Bishkek last month.