Bajrang Punia, Antim Panghal out of Zagreb Open

New Delhi, January 2

India will go unrepresented in five categories at the upcoming Zagreb Open in Croatia as Bajrang Punia, Antim Panghal and three others didn’t give consent for their selection to the ad hoc panel that announced a 13-member team today.

World Championships bronze medallist Panghal made herself unavailable as she wants to attend the national sports awards ceremony where she will be conferred with the Arjuna Award.

Olympics bronze medallist Bajrang said he has not yet started mat training. “I had recently undergone a thumb surgery. I have not yet started mat training. There is no point going to a tournament without proper practice. I have resumed fitness training though,” Bajrang said.

The ad hoc panel picked Aman Sehrawat (57kg), Yash (74kg), Deepak Punia (86kg), Vicky (97kg) and Sumit Malik (125kg) in the men’s freestyle team.

“We had sought the consent of the wrestlers who were part of the Asian Games squad and only 13 gave their consent while five others didn’t,” Bhupinder Singh Bajwa, the head of the ad hoc panel, said.

Pooja Gehlot (50kg), Mansi Ahlawat (57kg) and Kiran (76kg) also didn’t give their consent, forcing the ad hoc body to select just two wrestlers in the women’s category — Sonam Malik (62kg) and Radhika (68kg).

The Greco-Roman team comprises Gyanender (60kg), Neeraj (67kg), Vikas (77kg), Sunil Kumar (87kg), Narinder Cheema (97kg) and Naveen (130kg).

“Thanks to a timely intervention by the Ministry of External Affairs, the 25 Indians due to travel to Zagreb will complete the visa formalities on Wednesday,” Bajwa said. — PTI

Several grapplers seek UWW intervention

New Delhi: Several wrestlers from different states have written to the world governing body, UWW, requesting its intervention for restoration of the suspended WFI. The wrestlers also accused Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik of orchestrating a “fake agitation”. “I would like to inform you that due to fake agitation of three wrestlers, wrestling in India has been destroyed. I am a woman wrestler but I did not face any sexual demand from the previous president,” wrote an Asian Games and CWG medallist. UWW had suspended the WFI on August 24 and the Indian wrestlers had to compete as neutral athletes at the World Championships.