Paris Olympics: PT Usha slams WFI for exclusion of Antim Panghal's coaches

Indian Olympic Association president PT Usha slammed the Wrestling Federation of India over the Antim Panghal-controversy. PT Usha, in an official statement on Wednesday, 17 July snapped at the association for ignoring the names of the wrestler's coaches from the list of support staff flying out for the Paris Olympics.

The IOA president chided the ad-hoc panel, which is handling the matters at the WFI saying the committee did not do due diligence and missed out on giving the names of wrestler Antim Panghal's coaches in the long list, sent to the Paris Olympic Games organisers.

The 19-year-old Panghal, who trains in Hisar, was the first Indian wrestler to qualify for the Paris Games when she won a bronze at the World Championship in 2023. She



wanted her coaches Bhagat Singh and Vikas to travel with her along with physiotherapist Heera. After the matter surfaced in the Indian media, the IOA cleared all the names but the support staff members attached with Panghal are still awaiting visa clearance.

"Antim won India an Olympic quota as early as in September 2023 by claiming a bronze medal in the World Wrestling Championships in Belgrade. In its wisdom the Ad Hoc Committee, administering wrestling, chose not to include the names of Antim's coach or physiotherapist in the long list of names sent to the Olympic Games Organising Committee," Usha said in a statement.

The wrestlers are supposed to reach Paris on August 3 and the support staff members have got appointment for bio-metrics on August 2.