WFI Sticks With Same Wrestling Squad for Olympic Qualifiers in Istanbul
The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has decided to send the same wrestlers who competed in the Asian Qualifiers in Bishkek to the final Olympic Qualifiers in Istanbul next month.
This is because there wasn’t enough time to hold new trials to select the team.
Who’s In, Who’s Out?
The squad for the World Olympic Games Qualifiers (WOGQ) will be similar to the Bishkek qualifiers, with three exceptions:
Vinesh Phogat (50kg), Anshu Malik (57kg), and Reetika (76kg) will not participate. They already secured Olympic quota places at the Bishkek qualifiers.
Why No New Trials?
● The WFI was reportedly unhappy with the Indian men’s performance at the Bishkek qualifiers and wanted to hold new trials.
● However due to the short time between the Bishkek qualifiers and the Istanbul qualifiers they couldn’t conduct trials.
● Holding trials would require wrestlers to cut weight twice in a short span, which can be very demanding.
Chances for Indian Wrestlers in Istanbul
● There are 54 Olympic quota places available in each weight class across the three wrestling styles (Freestyle, Greco-Roman, and Women’s Wrestling).
● This gives Indian wrestlers a good opportunity to qualify for the Paris Olympics. Competition
Schedule
● The qualifiers will take place from May 9-13 in Istanbul.
● Greco-Roman wrestling starts on May 9th, followed by women’s wrestling and then freestyle wrestling will conclude the event on May 13th.
The top three wrestlers in each weight category will attain a ticket to Paris for their country. For the rest, it’s a long four-year wait for another attempt at the sport’s highest honor.
The Big Names
Legendary wrestler Mariya Stadnik (AZE) takes center stage in Istanbul for the World Olympic Qualifier, her final shot at securing a quota for Paris 2024. It will also put her one step closer to winning an unprecedented fifth Olympic medal,a feat never achieved before in wrestling.
The women’s 76 kg weight class is stacked with talent, including Martina Kuenz (AUT), Anastasiya Zimiankova (AZE), and Yuliana Yaneva (BUL)
Paris 2024 Wrestling Quota Breakdown (Simplified)
Here’s a breakdown of how wrestlers qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympics:
● World Championships: Awarded 90 quotas total (30 each for Freestyle, Women’s Wrestling, and Greco-Roman)
● Continental Qualifiers (4 continents): Awarded 36 quotas total (12 each for all three styles)
● World Olympic Qualifier: Awarded 54 quotas total (18 each for all three styles)
Total: This adds up to 288 wrestlers competing across all styles (Freestyle, Women’s Wrestling,
Greco-Roman).
Important Note: Even though wrestlers win individual quota spots, their National Olympic Committee (NOC) has the final say on who competes in the Olympics.
Competition Schedule
● The qualifiers will take place from May 9-13 in Istanbul.
● Greco-Roman wrestling starts on May 9th, followed by women’s wrestling, and
then freestyle wrestling will conclude the event on May 13th.
Who is in the squad
Freestyle
Aman (57kg), Sujeet (65kg), Jaideep (74kg), Deepak Punia (86kg), Deepak (97kg), Sumit (125kg)
Greco-Roman
Sumit (60kg), Ashu (67kg), Vikas (77kg), Sunil Kumar (87kg), Nitesh (97kg), Naveen (130kg)
Women’s wrestling
Mansi (62kg), Nisha (68kg)
Written By Ishant
