Vinesh Phogat in motion through the 2023 senior National wrestling championship in Jaipur on February 04, 2024.
| Photo Credit: SHASHI SHEKHAR KASHYAP
Two-time World championships bronze medallist Vinesh Phogat will appeal to the utmost consideration amongst Indian wrestlers, who will likely be vying for Paris Olympics quota locations within the Asian Olympic Games qualifier beginning in Bishkek on Friday.
Vinesh, who competed within the Tokyo Olympics in 53kg, dropped to 50kg for the trials after Antim Panghal secured the 53kg quota place by profitable a World championship bronze final yr. The lack of readability whether or not she would find a way to problem Antim (as the quota place belongs to the nation) made Vinesh take the choice.
The 29-year-old two-time Olympian, a outstanding face in final yr’s wrestlers’ protest towards former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brijbhushan Sharan Singh, may have North Korea’s Son Hyang Kim and Uzbekistan’s Aktenge Keunimjaeva, amongst others, in her weight. Three Asian international locations — Japan, China and Mongolia — have already booked their spots within the Olympics.
According to specialists, the main problem for Vinesh, who received the National championships at Jaipur in 55kg in February, could be to maintain her power by the bouts even after reducing down her weight to match into 50kg. There was a two kg weight leisure on the trials in March.
Worlds silver medallist Anshu Malik (57kg) and World under-23 champion Reetika (76kg) would be the different contenders for Olympic berths.
Last yr’s Asian champion Aman Sehrawat (57kg) and Tokyo Olympics fifth-place finisher Deepak Punia (86kg), a former Worlds silver medallist, can even earn quota locations.
The greatest hurdle for India is that Deepak and Sujeet Kalkal (65kg), on their means from their coaching base in Dagestan to Bishkek, have been stranded on the Dubai airport since Tuesday due to the huge flooding there.
“There is no proper accommodation or food. If they manage to get onto a flight tonight, then they might reach Bishkek early tomorrow and report for weigh-in (at 8 am) and hope to fight later in the day. I wonder how they will compete!” mentioned Sujeet’s father Dayanand.
The semifinalists in every weight will win Olympic slots.
The World Olympic Games qualifier in Istanbul from May 9 to 12 is the final qualifying occasion for Paris 2024.
