Tokyo Olympic medallists Bajrang Punia and Ravi Dahiya have suffered setbacks in the trials conducted by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) to select the Indian squad for the Olympic Qualifiers.

Bajrang Punia and Ravi Dahiya fails to perform

Bajrang Punia, who won a bronze medal in Tokyo, was defeated by Rohit Kumar in the men’s freestyle 65kg bout. Ravi Dahiya, who won a silver medal in the Tokyo Olympics, lost 8-10 to Udit from Haryana in the 57kg.

Bajrang Punia, a world championship silver medalist, and Ravi Dahiya, a reigning Olympic champion, have been pillars of Indian wrestling. Their absence from the Olympic qualifiers is a significant setback for the Indian wrestling team’s prospects at the upcoming Olympics.

These defeats mean that both wrestlers will not be participating in the 2024 Paris Olympics to improve their performance. This is a significant development in Indian wrestling, as both athletes have been key contributors to the sport in recent years.

The reasons behind their exclusion from the qualifiers are yet to be clarified. Speculations are rife, but until official statements are made, the wrestling community can only guess. The athletes’ health, fitness levels, and potential injuries are among the speculated reasons.

Their absence opens up opportunities for other wrestlers to step up. It will be interesting to see who will seize this opportunity to represent India in these weight categories. This situation could potentially unearth new talent, which can be a silver lining in this otherwise disappointing scenario.

However, the absence of Punia and Dahiya also raises concerns about India’s medal prospects in wrestling at the Olympics. Both wrestlers were considered strong medal contenders, and their absence undoubtedly weakened India’s wrestling squad.

Amid these concerns, Indian wrestling fans react to these two star wrestlers missing out on the mega event. Bajrang Punia was one of the key members who led the protest against the WFI last year accusing the then President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of sexual harassment against female wrestlers.

Fans especially criticised Bajrang for not giving enough time for the game [practice, but actively participating in the protest against WFI.

Also Read: BCCI in plans to host IPL twice in a year