“I met Deepak Punia and he was very disillusioned” - Indian wrestler's former coach Virender Dalal

Missing out on the Asian Olympic Qualifiers and being forced to skip a training stint in Russia has left Deepak Punia disappointed, according to his former coach Virender Dalal.

Last month, Deepak and Sujeet Kalkal were forced to sit out of the Asian Olympic Qualifiers in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, as they reached the host city after the weigh-ins for their categories took place.

Ahead of the event, the pair had been stranded at the Dubai airport as flights were canceled owing to bad weather in Dubai. Despite not being responsible for their delayed arrival in Bishkek, the event's organizers refused to let them take part.

Later, the pair planned to train in Dagestan before traveling to Istanbul for the World Olympic Qualifier. Dalal, who coached Deepak in his formative years, stated that training in Russia would have helped the 24-year-old on many levels.

“There he could continue training with some of the world’s best competitors. It would give him an opportunity to share the mat with wrestlers from different countries, remain in the same time zone and avoid unnecessary long travel,” he said. (via Indian Express)

However, the Wrestling Federation of India threw a spanner in their plans by announcing fresh selection trials for the world qualifier. They also informed Deepak and Sujeet that their presence was mandatory.

However, after the pair returned to India, the federation announced that there would be no new selection trials, leaving Deepak disappointed.

“I met Deepak last Saturday and he was very disillusioned. Not just because of missing the Asian qualifiers for no fault of his own but also since he could not travel to Russia,” Dalal stated.

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Deepak Punia and Aman Sehrawat to lead India at World Olympic Games qualifier

Aman Sehrawat and Deepak Punia are set to lead India’s challenge in the World Olympic Games qualifier in Istanbul.

Aman, who needs to win two bouts to book a berth in the Olympics, received a bye to the Round of 16. Deepak, on the other hand, will face China's Zushen Lin in the opening round.

The other Indians taking part in the event are Sujeet Kalkal (65kg), Sunil Kumar (87kg), Sumit (60kg), Mansi Ahlawat (62kg), Nisha Dahiya (68kg).