 "Sushil Kumar")
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday issued a notice to the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and the Sports Ministry to conduct selection trials in response to the plea made by ace Indian wrestler Sushil Kumar over the selection for the upcoming Rio Olympics.
The two-time Olympic medallist yesterday moved the Delhi High Court seeking a trial with compatriot Narsingh Yadav for his inclusion in the list of probables to be sent to Rio Olympics in the 74-kg men's wrestling category.
Earlier, Narsingh Yadav had insisted that going to the Brazilian capital is his right as he secured the quota in the 74-kg category with a bronze medal finish in last year's World Championships, while Sushil Kumar, who won gold in the same category at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, called for trials to be conducted to determine who should go to Rio.
WIF vice-president Raj Singh said the federation will take a call in this regard in the meeting most probably to be held tomorrow, adding the incumbent president Brijbhushan Sharan Singh has come into wrestling for betterment of the game and to ensure that the nation wins maximum medals.
"As far as Sushil's matter is concerned, it is altogether a different matter. The government should have conducted the trial. Now, that the court has put the ball in our court, our federation will definitely take a call on the same," he said.
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Singh said Narsingh Yadav has come after qualification.
"He has not been selected, he has come after qualification. Sushil was injured when the qualification was taking place otherwise the trial would have been done earlier.A decision in this regard will be taken in the meeting tomorrow and thereafter the court will decide," he added.
The WIF vice-president further said that whoever is better of the two will be sent to Rio.
"We cannot say that. This will depend on the trial as to who is better. Sushil Kumar is definitely better. If Narsingh a can get bronze then Sushil can get gold medal to the country," he said.
Sushil, who clinched bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and silver winner at London Games four year later, was earlier dropped from the WFI's Rio preparatory camp that is to begin in Sonepat on Wednesday.
Last week, the WFI had found itself in an unwanted territory after picking Narsingh over Sushil in the list of probables sent to the Indian Olympic Association.
WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh had expressed it has been a tradition to send the quota-place winning wrestlers to the Olympics in India, although a quota belongs to the country.
So far, seven grapplers have secured their berths for Rio Games, the most for India in the sport at any Olympics.
