Indian wrestling not new to selection controversy but a paradigm shift is needed

India’s wrestling team selection for the Asian Games this year has become a source of major controversy for a sport that has already been rocked with off-the-mat disputes in 2023. The exemptions given to Vinesh Phogat (65kg freestyle) and Bajrang Punia (53kg) from the Asian Games trials and their direct entry into the continental showpiece have once again put the spotlight on the dubious selection policy.

Before the 2016 Rio Olympics, World Championships bronze medallist Narsingh Yadav (74kg freestyle) was granted direct entry. It led to a similar controversy, with two-time Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar demanding a trial and later engaging in a lengthy legal battle before being denied a ticket to Brazil. The whole fiasco ended with India putting up a meek challenge for the medal at the Games.

Seven years later, another controversy over lack of trials and direct entry to a prestigious event has once again raised question marks over WFI’s flawed selection policy.

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While multiple trials in a single season in a contact sport like wrestling, where there’s always a risk of injury and recovery is difficult after losing weight consistently, is not possible, direct entry to a select group of wrestlers would always be seen as a step against meritocracy.

As controversy refuses to die down, we take a look at what led to the mess and measures that WFI should take to avoid a similar disaster.

Why Vinesh and Bajrang were exempted from Asian Games trials?

16 wrestlers earned spots in India’s wrestling team for the Asian Games after winning at the trials and only Vinesh and Bajrang have been afforded direct entry. The ad-hoc panel’s decision, appointed by the Indian Olympic Association to run WFI, was based on the rules laid down by the federation.

WFI’s policy says that trials are mandatory but the selection committee has the discretion to give direct entry to Olympic or World Championships medallists without trials if recommended by the chief coach or foreign expert.

“As per the WFI Regulations of Selection Trials, the Selection Committee has already selected Wrestlers in the 65 kg (free style) and 53 kg (Women Wrestling) for the Asian Games 2022. But the trial will be held for these weight categories and the selected Wrestlers will be kept on Stand-by,” the panel said in a release.

Both Vinesh and Bajrang had won medals at the 2022 World Championships.

The latest decision to grant full exemption is only a reflection of WFI’s arbitrary and unpredictable selection policy. For long, the federation followed the policy of giving the berth to the wrestler who won the quota. Even when trials became more common, baffling exceptions were made.

Last year, male wrestlers who won gold medals at the 2022 Commonwealth Games were exempted from trials for World Championships but female wrestlers were made to compete.

The WFI’s selection guidelines state that exemptions can be provided to “iconic players”.

“Asian Games: The Selection Trials in all weight categories are mandatory, however, the Selection Committee will have the discretion to select the iconic players like medallists of Olympic / World Championship without trials provided recommendation by Chief Coach / Foreign Expert,” says a clause in the WFI selection regulations.

It has been reported that the WFI had amended the selection rule during their General Body Meeting in August last year but such an amendment is not available on their website.

However, this didn’t stop outgoing WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh from claiming that the exemption would “hurt” wrestling in India and that the selection policy was amended under his watch. However, the ad-hoc panel following the policy laid down before the General Body Meeting also raises questions on whether the rule was amended.

“We did not send these wrestlers (to Commonwealth Games) directly, though we gave them direct semifinal berths. We realised later that perhaps it is not right and that’s exactly why we discussed this issue at our Executive Committee, took advise of the coaches, studied the rules from other nations and passed the new rules in General Body Meeting that such exemptions will be not be given to any wrestler in any situation,” Singh had said.

Coaches also uninformed

Adding fuel to the fire in the ongoing controversy is the fact that men’s freestyle national coach Jagmander Singh and women’s national coach Virender Dahiya were not informed about the exemptions.

“I am not even aware that such a decision has been taken. The ad-hoc panel had stopped calling us for meetings. We have not made any such recommendation, we favoured trials in all categories,” Jagmander had told the news agency PTI.

This is in direct breach of the WFI guidelines where the recommendation of the coach or the foreign expert is mandatory.

Have Vinesh and Bajrang reacted to the exemptions granted?

Vinesh, the only Indian women wrestler to win two World Championships medals, and Bajrang, four-time World Championships medallist and bronze winner from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, spoke about the controversy in detail during a Facebook live on Monday.

The wrestlers, who were part of the protest against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh for sexual harassment of female grapplers, said that they did not ask for an exemption from the trials, instead they only wanted more time to train and prepare.

Both Vinesh and Bajrang did not train for majority of the year as a result of the protests against the outgoing WFI president which stretched till June.

Can the ad-hoc panel’s decision be challenged?

It has already been.

Reigning U-20 world champion, Antim Panghal, who won the trials in the 53kg category but will have to be on the standby list, moved Delhi High Court against the ad-hoc panel’s decision, demanding trials for all categories, but her petition was struck down by the HC.

“This Court is not commenting upon the merits of the Petitioners herein who have also excelled in the field of wrestling but this Court is not inclined to sit in appeal over the decision taken by the Committee as the same cannot be said to be arbitrary or perverse,” said Justice Subramonium Prasad.

“It is neither the contention of the Petitioners nor can it be said that the WFI has acted against the interest of the country or that the decision has been taken because of certain extraneous circumstances or in order to favour anyone.”

What is the way forward?

It’s essential that meritocracy is upheld in sports. It’s not necessary that the quota winner would be as good when it comes to the main competition (Olympics, World Championships, Asian Games, CWG and more). But regular trials in a contact sport like wrestling poses the risk of injuries both on and off the mat as wrestlers also have to cut down weight multiple times; for trials and competitions.

A balance is needed to pick the best talent to represent India and also to reward the athletes who won the quota or have already proven themselves on the biggest stages.

A policy similar to what is followed in the USA could be the way forward where the rules for selection are laid out in clear terms. USA has already put forward its policy to select wrestlers for the 2023 World Championships and 2024 Olympics. A similar process is also followed in other major sporting nations.

In US, trials will be held to select wrestlers for the Olympics and worlds but medallists from the Olympics and World Championships will be given a direct entry into the final round of trials.

A similar policy for India could be the solution to the mess which the country witnesses when it comes to team selection. A transparent policy that leaves no room for ambiguity or arbitrariness. A policy that rewards talent, which gives the best athletes their due but also promotes and encourages young wrestlers to dream for the biggest prizes in the sport.

The IOA in a media release on July 19 said that the final wrestling team will be decided before the departure for the Asian Games and it’s quite possible that the Association may make a course correction and end up giving the standby grapplers one more chance against Vinesh and Bajrang.

Will this happen? We would know soon.