Wrestling Star Sushil Kumar's Rio Olympics Dreams Jolted After High Court Order

Sushil Kumar, India's only sportsperson to win two Olympics medals, will not be able to compete at the 2016 Rio Games, in all likelihood. Wrestler Narsingh Yadav will be participating in the 74 kg category instead.

Sushil moved court in the hope of getting a trial against Narsingh Yadav, the quota place winner. But Delhi High Court, in its verdict on Monday, dismissed Sushil's plea for a trial. Hence, Sushil's hopes got dashed.

Justice Manmohan acknowledged Sushil's feats in the international arena and termed him a "legendary wrestler" in 66 kg weight category but did not allow him to have a chance to compete for the Olympic berth in the 74 kg category.

'Last minute challenge to selection can disturb mental preparation'

The court said that Sushil's petition seeking a direction to the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) to hold a selection trial to decide who will represent India in 74 kg freestyle category at the Rio Olympics was "untenable in law as well as contrary to facts".

"In international arena of sports, medals are won not only by 'brawn' but also by 'brain'. The last minute challenge to selection can disturb the mental preparation of the selected.

"Consequently, a sportsperson innocently asking for 'just a trial' may be jeopardising the chances of the selected candidate to win, having disastrous consequences for national interest. In the duel asked for, the country will be the loser," the court said.

"Keeping in view the conclusions reached above, the petitioner's (Sushil) prayer for a trial is untenable in law as well as contrary to facts. Accordingly, present writ petition and applications are dismissed," it said.

In its 37-page judgement, the court observed that the WFI has adopted a "reasonable, transparent and fair procedure" in selecting Yadav as India's representative to Rio Olympics in the 74 kg category.

"The system suggested by the petitioner (Sushil) of having trials after the qualification event cannot be accepted as the sole method for selection as it implies that the country would not send its best athlete to secure a place for itself in Olympics," it said.

The court said though Sushil has won a number of laurels for India in 66 kg weight category but on consistent current form, WFI's opinion that Yadav "is better is not unreasonable or perverse".

Meanwhile, the court also issued notice to WFI's Vice President Raj Singh asking him why perjury proceedings should not be initiated against him for giving false affidavit before it.

The court's order came on the plea moved by 32-year-old Sushil Kumar who had sought a selection trial to decide who will represent the country in the 74 kg category at Rio Olympics 2016.

The WFI had opposed his plea saying 26-year-old Narsingh was a better bet compared to Sushil, who had participated in 66 kg category earlier.

WFI had said that Yadav had secured a berth for this category at Rio by winning a bronze medal in world wrestling championship held last year.

Yadav's counsel had also opposed Sushil's plea and told the court that the athlete who secures a berth represents the country in the Olympics.

Sushil could move Supreme Court

"We are reading the judgment. If need be we will take the issue to Supreme Court. The High Court is talking about injury risks, but wrestling is the kind of sport where injury could happen even while training. So what's the problem in an extra bout?" said Sushil's coach Satpal Singh, who is also the two-time Olympic medallist's father in law.

"Sushil is in the best form of his life. He was not training for eight months for nothing. He couldn't see anything but the Olympic gold in front of his eyes all these months."

Narsingh - the quota place winner

Narsingh had secured the Olympic quota place for India last year at the World Championship in Las Vegas after winning a bronze medal.

Since then the Maharashtra grappler has been staking his claim for the berth and the WFI had also been steadfast in its stand to send Narsingh to Rio since he had grabbed the quota.

Going by norms in WFI guidelines, a quota belongs to the country and not to an individual wrestler, and former world champion Sushil pointed out that there should be a trial in 74kg category to decide who would go to Rio.

The 33-year-old, who had won a bronze medal in 2008 Beijing Olympics and followed it up with a silver in 2012 London Games, had moved the court seeking directions to WFI to hold selection trials.

Weight category rejig

Sushil had won both his Olympic medals in 66kg category but had to move up to 74kg after the International Wrestling body (FILA) rejigged the weight divisions post the London Games.

Sushil's climbing up to the 74kg weight category brought him in direct competition with Narsingh, who had represented India in this category in earlier Olympics.

After jumping up the division, Sushil had fought in just a couple of international tournaments. In fact, what has gone against Sushil is that he had last fought in 2014 Commonwealth Games at Glasgow, where he had won a gold medal. Since then he has not participated in any major event owing to injuries.

Before the World Championship last year, WFI had conducted trials but Sushil opted out of that as well as he sustained a shoulder injury at that time.

He also did not take part in the inaugural Pro Wrestling League, once again citing injury, in December last year.

However, Sushil kept training in the last one year and also went to Georgia for a training stint in April, although he chose to train alone and not with the rest of his Indian colleagues.

(With inputs from PTI and Suprita Das)