Armed with a courtroom order to take part within the variety trials for the Asian Championships, Anuj Kumar cruised via his bouts to emerge because the wonder winner within the 65 kg weight class on the IG Stadium in New Delhi on Friday.
Anuj and his trainer Ajay Dhanda spent some sleepless nights over the previous few days as his title didn’t determine some of the shortlisted applicants. Anuj is a National Games Champion and Under-23 nationwide champion however his achievements didn’t fall below the standards set by way of the Sports Ministry’s Oversight Committee which is working the daily affairs of the Wrestling Federation of India.
They moved Delhi High Court in opposition to the verdict on March 7 and lived via some nervous moments because the courtroom was once closed for the following two days. Eventually, simply hours prior to the pains, Anuj and 4 different wrestlers from Dhanda’s academy were given some aid when the Delhi High Court on Thursday night suggested the Oversight Committee to incorporate them within the trials.
“The list came on March 3 and since then we have been knocking on every door — sports ministry, SAI, Oversight Committee. When all the doors closed on us, the only option left to us was to go to court because it is a question of my trainee’s career,” mentioned Dhanda, who runs Shahid Bhagat Singh Academy in Mirchpur, Hisar.
“My trainees had every right to compete in the trials. We moved the court on March 7 and the court was closed for the next few days because of the holiday.”
In a unique listening to on Thursday, Justice Prathibha M Singh accepted all 5 to be allowed within the trials. “We got the order at 9 pm on Thursday much to our relief and my boys proved me right,” mentioned Dhanda.
There have been best 4 wrestlers left within the 65kg weight class after Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Bajrang Punia pulled out. In the nordic spherical, Anuj fought with single-minded choice to win all his 3 bouts — Sujeet (3-1), Jaskaran Singh (6-3), Suraj Kokata (10-0).
“I won the trials for the U-23 world championships but the team did not get a visa for Spain, except for one wrestler. That was not my fault. The U-23 Worlds medallist was allowed to participate and If I had gone there I could have won a medal too. I am also a National Games champion,” mentioned Anuj.
“I was very disappointed. I have sacrificed so much for the sport and in such an important year, where there are Asian Games and Olympic qualifiers, how can you deny me a chance to compete? I felt like everything was being taken away from me The criteria set was not right,” says the 23-year-old who will now constitute India on the Asian Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan. from April 9.
Chander Mohan (74kg) and Sachin Mor (79kg), who additionally competed after the courtroom order, additionally gave a excellent show.
“All the five wrestlers could compete because of the court intervention, and there were several promising wrestlers who may have lost out because of the criteria,” mentioned Dhanda.
Rohit Singh, who gave a tricky combat to Bajrang Punia within the 65kg trials closing 12 months, additionally neglected out. In 10 freestyle weight classes, 55 wrestlers had made the minimize within the preliminary record prior to 5 extra have been added. The festival, in each freestyle and greco-roman, was once held in Nordic taste the place everybody competes in opposition to each and every different.
“They will have to have incorporated extra wrestlers within the trials. Instead of world medallists, they will have to have long gone for India illustration in primary meets as a result of these days, these kind of wrestlers are just about of the similar stage, and in crucial 12 months, everybody merits a possibility mentioned Mahabir Bishnoi, Dronacharya awardee trainer.
The Oversight Committee carried out a easy trial limiting the quantity of people that may accompany the taking part wrestlers, despite the fact that there have been court cases of coaches being denied access. Inside the world, a heated state of affairs was once have shyed away from within the Greco roman 67kg semi-final bout between Sachin Sehrawat and Sagar. The bout was once determined within the very closing 2d and the panel straight away despatched the video to UWW to test at the transfer after a grievance from the dropping wrestler’s group.