Wrestlers Panghal & Kalkal move Court over exemption to Punia & Phogat for Asian Games trials

Wrestlers Antim Panghal and Sujit Kalkal have approached the Delhi High Court to challenge the decision of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) to grant trial exemption for the upcoming Asian Games to Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat.

The petitioners are demanding a transparent and unbiased selection process after WFI gave a free pass to Punia and Phogat for the Asian Games trials. This move has led to controversies and allegations of favoritism.

Recently, Antim Panghal and Sujit Kalkal were among the wrestlers who protested against WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, accusing him of sexual harassment. FIRs have been lodged against Singh, and he has been granted bail by the Delhi High Court.

In their joint petition, Panghal and Kalkal emphasized the need for videographing all trials to ensure transparency in the selection process. They highlighted that during the protests, they advocated for the rights of junior wrestlers, but now they feel sidelined for the benefit of others.

The trials for the Asian Games, scheduled for July 22-23 at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi Stadium, will see Punia (65kg) and Phogat (53kg) exempted from competing directly. However, the winners of the 65kg and 53kg categories will be kept as stand-by for Punia and Phogat.

Panghal and Kalkal have expressed their concerns through videos, claiming that Punia and Phogat are not the best in their weight categories and that several wrestlers could defeat them in a head-to-head battle. Their protest has gained support from other national-level grapplers, who consider the trial exemption unfair.

Wrestlers from Baba Laldas Akhada in Hisar and Chhatrasal Stadium in New Delhi have also joined the movement, calling for a fair and unbiased selection process ahead of the Asian Games trials.