Antim Panghal questions Vinesh Phogat's exemption from Asian Games selection trials

The U-20 World Champion also called for a fair trial to select the contingent for the Continental event.

Antim Panghal, the U-20 World champion, has questioned the move of the ad-hoc committee (running WFI currently) to grant Olympians Vinesh Phogat (53kg) and Bajrang Punia (65kg) direct entry into the Asian Games 2022 without conducting any trials. Only the above stipulated wrestlers have got the exemption, whereas other wrestlers in various other weight categories need to win their respective trial bouts in order to qualify for the Asiad.

The youngster from Haryana created history by becoming the first-ever female wrestler from India to win a gold medal at the U-20 World Championships in Sofia last year. She didn't stop there either and went on to win a silver at the Asian Wrestling Championships held earlier this year in the senior category.

Antim Panghal, in a video which is going viral on the internet, questioned the ad-hoc committee and said, "On what basis is the squad for Asian Games being selected. There are several talented wrestlers waiting to give the trials. The likes of Sakshi Malik and Ravi Dahiya — Olympic medalists — haven't been selected for the Asian Games then on what basis has Vinesh Phogat been selected?

"My only request is to conduct fair trials and I am not saying that I'm going to defeat Vinesh rather there are several more who have the capacity to beat her.

"Vinesh has also not been practising for the past year while others have been practising seriously in the particular timeframe. Toh ya hum pehalwani chod de (So should we quit wrestling)?" she said in her appeal.

Several experts rate Antim highly with her competitiveness and in a short span has achieved several accolades. Vinesh Phogat on the other hand has been out of action since the World Championships last year and was involved in the protest against former WFI president Brijbhushan Sharan Singh since January 2023. She was earlier scheduled to take part in the Hungary Grand Prix but pulled out of the event at the last moment.