Indian wrestler Sushil Kumar has now made a decision to take the battle over who represents India at the Rio Olympics in the 74kg category, to court.
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Besides sending a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking for a meeting with him, and urging the Sports Ministry, IOA, and WFI, Sushil also uploaded a video message with the hashtag “Justice4Sushil”, where he appealed to the fans on his Facebook and Twitter page to support him.
Yadav had secured India’s quota berth for the 74 kg category during last year’s Wrestling World Championships in Las Vegas.
Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Monday said the central government will not intervene in the selection battle.
The WFI had sought the Ministry’s intervention to resolve the raging furore over whether to give the Olympic ticket to Narsingh, who clinched the quota berth, or hold trials to present double Olympic-medallist Sushil a chance in the 74kg category.
Since then Narsingh has been staking his claim for the berth, while Sushil, who missed the event owing to a shoulder injury, has asked for a trial to determine who ultimately represents India at the Rio Games.
WFI has been giving hints that it is not too keen on holding the trial in 74kg division, fearing demands from other wrestlers in the remaining seven weight categories India has earned quotas for Rio Games. “We stood by the national sports code and respect the autonomy of all sports Federations”.
Sushil is demanding a trial between the two wrestlers, while Narsingh has maintained he has won the quota for representing India.
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“Then I would not have worked so hard in the last one year and also the government should not have wasted so much money and time on me”, the two-time Olympic medallist had said.
