World Championships to decide Olympic berths

Officials of the Wrestling Federation of India on Wednesday iterated that they will stick to whatever the tradition has been like in the past.

REPRESENTATIVE IMAGE: WFI confirms that whoever wins the quota from the world championship will make it to the Olympics.

In the recent past, the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has found itself in the middle of controversies when it came to selecting teams for major events. With things often going out of hand and reaching the courts, there have been suggestions from various quarters that the federation should ensure that the process is transparent.

But on Wednesday, WFI officials iterated that wrestlers who earn quota places from the World Championships will automatically qualify for the Olympics.

"Whoever wins the quota from the World Championships will make it to the Olympics. That has been the tradition and we will keep it that way," WFI assistant secretary, Vinod Tomar, said.

He made it clear that there won't be any selection trials after that. "We will think about it only if any situation arises. Otherwise, whoever wins quota, goes to the Games," he added.

There, however, will be a proper selection trials before the World Championships. But given the fact that the Olympics will be held 17 months after the World Championships, what if a quota-winning wrestler goes through a rough phase? Tomar said, such a thing has never happened in the past and 'hopefully, such a situation' would not arise.