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Synopsis

The Delhi High Court on Thursday sought response of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) in plea by wrestlers Antim Panghal and Sujeet Kalkal over the exemption granted to Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia for direct entry to Asian Games 2023 trials by the WFI ad-hoc.

The joint petition of the two wrestlers was mentioned before Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma yesterday, who had listed the matter for today.

During the hearing today, Justice Subramonim Prasad asked the WFI, as to what is the basis for selecting these persons, other than the fact that they’re good sportspersons.

“Have you done any kind of selection process? …the entire case is that there has to be some kind of a trial, so that the petitioners do not doubt the competence on the merit of the two wrestlers whom you have selected for representing the country”, Justice Prasad said.

He added, “What they say is that the past performance alone cannot be the basis of sending the two persons forward”.

The court further asked the counsel for WFI as to what is the basis of selection. "Can you file some kind of reply by today itself? If it is just and reasonable. I’ll not even hear this matter”, he added.

The single-judge bench directed the WFI to file its reply by today and posted the matter for a detailed hearing tomorrow i.e. July 21.

The petition, moved through Advocate Hrishikesh Baruah and Akshay Kumar contended that the directive issued by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) ad-hoc committee with regards to the two categories (men’s freestyle 65kg and women’s 53kg) be quashed and the exemption granted to Bajrang and Vinesh be set aside.

The plea contended that the trials should be held in a fair manner, without granting any exemption to any wrestler and the whole process be videographed.

Case Title: Sujeet & Anr. v. Union of India and Ors.