P.T. Usha, President of the Indian Olympic Association, criticized the ad-hoc committee that managed the Wrestling Federation of India for not sending the names of Wrestler Antim Pangha’s coaches in the long list that was sent to the Paris Olympic Games organizers.
The Indian Olympic Association’s reaction came in the wake of a delay in visa clearance for Panghal’s preferred coaches for the Games.
The 19-year-old Panghal, who trains in Hisar, was the first Indian wrestler to qualify for the Paris Games when she won a bronze at the World Championship in 2023.
She wanted her coaches Bhagat Singh and Vikas to travel with her along with physiotherapist Heera. The IOA has cleared all the names but the support staff members attached with Panghal are still awaiting visa clearance.
“Antim won India an Olympic quota as early as in September 2023 by claiming a bronze medal in the World Wrestling Championships in Belgrade. In its wisdom the Ad Hoc Committee, administering wrestling, chose not to include the names of Antim’s coach or physiotherapist in the long list of names sent to the Olympic Games Organising Committee,” Usha said in a statement.
The wrestlers are supposed to reach Paris on August 3 and the support staff members have got appointment for bio-metrics on August 2.
IOA had, in December 2023, named its EC member Bhupendra Singh Bajwa as the head of the ad-hoc panel and made MM Somaya and Manjusha Kanwar the other members.
The IOA President also took an indirect dig at SAI for not being attentive enough.
“It is strange that the responsible authorities, who approved the long list of athletes, coaching, and support staff, did not deem it fit to recommend the inclusion of Bhagat Singh or Heera or Vikas. It was only after Antim’s father came to IOA a few days ago that I stepped in to have them cleared by the Ministry,” Usha said.