Report: Bajrang Punia, Deepak Punia likely to skip upcoming Wrestling World Championships 2023

Both wrestlers have requested for permission to travel abroad for special training camps.

Olympic Bronze medalist (65kg) Bajrang Punia and Commonwealth Games gold medalist (86kg) Deepak Punia has both decided to skip the upcoming Wrestling World Championships 2023 that is set to be held at Belgrade from September 16 to 24. The Wrestling World Championships will serve as a qualifying event for the Paris Olympics 2024. 

Both wrestlers have reportedly submitted requests for training overseas to prepare for the upcoming Asian Games in Hangzhou, instead of appearing in the selection trials for World Championships. The selection trials is set to take place in NIS Patiala on August 25-26 and will be conducted by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA)-appointed ad-hoc committee, who are tasked with running the daily affairs of the now suspended Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).

According to a report by the Times of India, both Bajrang, who was one of the wrestlers that led the protest against former WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, and Deepak Punia send proposals to SAI requesting participation in international training camps in foreign locations.

Bajrang, also the reigning Asian Games champion, has requested to travel for a 39-day camp in Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan from August 21 to September 28. Deepak, meanwhile, sent a proposal to train in Russia's Khasavyurt from August 23 to September 28 to prepare for the Asian Games, says the report.

It also added that Bajrang Punia will be accompanied by physiotherapist Anuj Gupta, his personal coach Sujeet Maan, strength and conditioning expert Kaazi Kiron Mustafa Hasan, and sparring partner Jitender Kinha. Deepak Punia, on the other hand, will have coach Kamal Malikov and physiotherapist Shubham Gupta by his side throughout this training camp.

However, SAI has not reacted well to the proposal and have asked both wrestlers to provide explanations for their decision to not participate in the upcoming senior World Championships.

“Apart from the ‘fit-to-play’ certificate before heading for the mentioned camp, you are requested to submit the reason for not participating in senior World Championships trials because as per the dates mentioned by the ad-hoc committee for WFI, the senior Worlds trials for the freestyle category is on 26th August 2023, coinciding with the dates of your participation in the training camp. You are requested to please provide an explanation for your probable absence from the WC trials,” SAI asked in a mail as per the report.