New Delhi: Star wrestler Vinesh Phogat has urged the Sports Ministry and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to announce the time, date, venue and format of the trials with only three months left for the Paris Olympics. Vinesh, the face of protest against former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is facing charges of sexual harassment against female grapplers, won the 50kg Olympic quota in Bishkek last month but as per norms will have to undergo trials before the final squad is announced.
As of now, five Indian women have qualified for Paris Games and only one male wrestler -- Aman Sehrawat -- has got the ticket for the global extravaganza.
"Despite being just under three months away from Paris Olympics, the Wrestling Federation of India has yet to announce the officials trials format, including the date, time and venue.
"It is to be noted that all federations have announced the qualification pathway and clear format way back in December, 2023, or latest in January, 2024," Vinesh wrote on 'X".
"I request Sports Ministry, Sports Authority of India, IOA, Wrestling Federation of India to prioritize this matter and promptly announce the dates, time, venue and exact format of the trials officially.
"Our athletes have worked tirelessly to earn their quotas and they deserve assurance and support of a transparent and well-defined selection process," she further wrote.
This will be Vinesh's third Olympics and she believed clarity will certainly "maximize" chances of earning medals at the Paris Games.
