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It’s a measure of how appalling Indian sport is administered that a matter that should have been settled on the mat has now gone to court. In recent times, the hockey, football and boxing federations have all shown their cluelessness. Now, it’s the turn of their wrestling counterparts to join them.
Sushil Kumar, who turns 33 next week, is a national hero, who won bronze in Beijing (2008) and silver in London (2012), both in the 66kg freestyle category. Since then, he has moved up to the 74kg division. But as things stand, he will not be in Rio de Janeiro, because the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) doesn’t want to hold a trial.
Sushil missed the 2015 World Championships through injury, and the younger Narsingh Yadav, who had won Commonwealth gold at 74kg in 2010, took the bronze. According to the WFI criteria, that was enough for Narsingh to book his ticket to Rio. Other major wrestling nations like the United States and Iran hold trials, but with India showing no inclination to do the same, Sushil has gone to court.
“I am not even saying that you send me because of my previous records at the Olympics, all I am asking is to conduct a trial,” he said. “I just want them to check my performance. If you don’t even check how am I performing right now, then how would you know who between me and Narsingh is better.”
Instead of a face-off, it might be lawyers that decide who gets to represent India at the Olympics.
“It is shameful to go to court,” said Sushil. “I was feeling weird in the court. An athlete should be in the ground. An athlete should not be in the court.”
Someone should remind the administrators of that.
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