NEW DELHI: The uncertainty over whether two-time Olympic medalist
Sushil Kumar will feature at this summer's Rio Games has increased, with a Hindustan Times article claiming that the decorated wrestler's name is not on the list of probables sent to the Indian Olympic Association (
IOA
).
According to the report published Thursday, the IOA has received the probable list from the
Wrestling Federation of India
(WFI) in which Sushil was not mentioned, further fueling speculation that
Narsingh Yadav is the one who has got the nod for the
74kg freestyle category
. The matter of which wrestler will represent India in that category has been brewing for several days, and the WFI has not publicly decided to hold trials for the men's 74kg.
Sushil, since shifting from 66kg to 74kg, has only participated at the 2014 Commonwealth Games where he won gold. On Wednesday, he had appealed to the WFI to hold trials to decide on who should represent India. His contention is that since trials have been held in the past to decide the best contender for a particular weight division, the same should be repeated now.
"All I am asking for is trails. I am not saying that you send me to Rio because of my glorious past. I am only saying that whoever between me and Narsingh is better, should represent the country at Olympics. Since a quota belongs to the country and not to a particular individual, thus, when there are two good contenders, there must be a fair trial. There is a procedure that should be followed," said the 32-year-old, who won bronze at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and silver in London four years later, both in the 66kg category.
"The Sports Authority of India and government have spent a lot of money on my preparation and it is only just that I am given an opportunity to prove that I have utilised every bit of that," he added. "I would not have asked for the trials if I was not well prepared. I am asking for it because I am feeling extremely fit and my preparations are top class. I am confident of doing well if I go to Rio. I have been at three Olympics already and won medal twice. My only aim is to win another medal for India."
Narsingh had secured an Olympic berth at last year's World Championship in Las Vegas after winning a bronze medal in the 74kg.