Rio Games: Wrestler Sushil Kumar moves High Court on trial

Rio Games: Wrestler Sushil Kumar moves High Court on trial

PTIUpdated: Friday, May 31, 2019, 03:20 PM IST
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New Delhi :  Two-time Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar has moved the Delhi High Court with a plea to direct the Wrestling Federation of India to conduct a selection trial to decide who will represent India in men’s 74kg freestyle category at the Rio Games. Sources claimed the court could hear the matter on Tuesday.

“We had no option but to take the matter to the court as Sushil wants a chance to undergo a trial,” a source close to the wrestler said.

After his name did not figure in India’s Rio preparatory camp, Sushil suffered yet another setback on Monday with the Sports Minister refusing to intervene in the selection battle, saying that the matter is for the WFI to decide.  With the WFI reluctant to conduct trials in 74kg to decide who between Sushil and Narsingh Pancham Yadav would eventually represent India at the Rio Olympics, the former world champion had taken the matter to the doorsteps of the Prime Minister’s Office. He, though, is yet to get a response.

Even as Ministry refuses to step in

He had also appealed to the Sports Ministry, the Indian Olympic Association, the WFI and fans on social media.  Even the WFI had sought the Sport Ministry’s intervention to resolve the raging furore but the Sports Minister made it clear that “the government has nothing to do with it and the Federation, which is an autonomous body, is the final authority.”

As a last resort, the 32-year-old wrestler has finally moved the court.

According to him, a quota belongs to the country and not to a particular wrestler and, thus, it was expected that a trial would be held in the contentious 74kg category.

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