The IOA ad-hoc panel on Tuesday handed Olympic medallist Bajrang Punia and World Championship medallist Vinesh Phogat direct entries into the Asian Games, a decision which was taken without the consent of the national chief coaches and is set to be challenged by other wrestlers and their coaches.
The IOA ad-hoc panel said in a circular that it has already selected wrestlers in men's freestyle 65kg and women's 53kg but trials will be held in all six weight categories in each of the three styles.
The ad-hoc panel did not name Bajrang and Vinesh in the circular but panel member Ashok Garg confirmed that the two wrestlers have been exempted from the trials.
"Yes, Bajrang and Vinesh have been exempted from trials," Garg said.
These two wrestlers have done well in the 65kg and 53kg categories but due to their protest against WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, they have not competed in any international tournament this year.
The panel did not favour four other protesting wrestlers -- Sakshi Malik, her husband Satyawart Kadiyan, Jitender Kinha and Bajrang's wife Sangeeta Phogat.
The Indian Olympic Association's ad-hoc committee took the decision just four days before the trials to select the wrestling squad for the Asian Games, scheduled to begin on September 23 in the Chinese city of Hangzhou.
The greco-roman and women’s freestyle trials are scheduled for July 22, while the men’s freestyle trials will be held on July 23 at IG Stadium in New Delhi.
Bajrang, who was one of the six protesting wrestlers at Jantar Mantar demanding the arrest of Brij Bhushan, is currently training in Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan. Vinesh, who won the 2018 Asian Games gold medal, is training in Budapest, Hungary.
Vinesh had pulled out of the recent Ranking Series event in Budapest due to sickness.
The two top grapplers, along with the four other protesting wrestlers -- 2016 Rio Olympic medallist Sakshi, her husband Kadian, Sangeeta and Kinha -- had sought time till August 10 to prepare for the Asian Games and World Championships trials.
The exemption of Bajrang and Vinesh, however, has not gone down well with other contenders, who are mulling over taking legal action.
