Indian wrestler Sushil Kumar has now decided to take the battle over who represents India at the Rio Olympics in the 74kg category, to court. The 32-year-old wrestler has decided to move the Delhi High Court, seeking a trial with Narsingh Yadav, who has the quota with him to participate in the Games.
The decision on who should represent India at the Olympics in this category has been in the headlines for several days now and on Thursday(12th May), reports emerged that Narsingh’s name had been sent, only for the Wrestling Federation of India to clarify later that nothing of that sort had happened.
A further indication of where Sushil’s chances of making it to Rio stand was given when his name wasn’t included in the list of wrestlers picked for the federation's preparatory camp.
Reacting to this news, Sushil’s coach Satpal said that they felt ashamed to have made such a move, but there was no other option left, but to take this call.
“We are ashamed to take this to High Court, but had no option. All Sushil wants is a trial,” Satpal told the Indian express.
Earlier, the Sports Ministry had left the decision to the federation to take the call on who should compete between Narsingh and Sushil at Rio in the 74kg category.
Only once in the past has a trial ever occurred, when prior, to the 1996 Olympics, Pappu Yadav and Kakka Pawar fought a trial in which the latter came out on top and went to Atlanta as the sole Indian representative in the sport.