2024-07-25 04:01:06
New Delhi: Kaka Pawar and Pappu Yadav were not known to many till the 1996 Olympics, the only things common between the two were that both were wrestlers and both were ready to fight inside and outside the mat to represent India in the 48 kg category. Almost 28 years ago, the two clashed at the IG Stadium for a place in the Indian team. Yadav won the controversial trials but was not allowed to participate in the Olympics after failing the weight measurement process in Atlanta.
Indian sports, and wrestling in particular, has not learned from its past as the four-year mega event is always laden with controversies. The six Indian wrestlers aim to carry forward the legacy of heroes like Sushil Kumar, Yogeshwar Dutt and Sakshi Malik. But they know they have had to overcome many hurdles to make it to the Paris-bound team, including a year-long protest that disrupted their preparations.
Pawar and Yadav were victims of a system that still exists today. The two were competing for a wildcard spot given by the international wrestling body in the 48kg category. Political heavyweights backed both wrestlers, leading to a major controversy that included allegations of fixing referees and rigging the weights. Though Yadav won the controversial bout and went to Atlanta, he failed the weigh-in procedure and returned without competing.
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The same thing happened with Narsingh Yadav before the 2016 Rio Olympics, although for a different reason. Narsingh surprised everyone by securing an Olympic quota for India in the 74 kg freestyle category. The International Wrestling Federation abolished the weight category (66 kg) of two-time Olympic medalist Sushil Kumar, after which the wrestler had to play in the 74 kg category. Sushil, hoping to score a hat-trick of medals at the Olympics, requested for a trial to decide who among him and Narsingh should go to Rio. But the Delhi High Court rejected Sushil’s petition challenging Narsingh’s selection.
This allowed Narsingh to play. However, three weeks before the Olympics, Narsingh tested positive for a banned drug. The wrestler alleged self-incrimination and the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) cleared him of doping charges. However, his dream of participating in the Olympics was shattered when the Tribunal for Sport upheld the World Anti-Doping Agency’s appeal against the clean chit given to him by NADA.
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Wrestling was in the news again for the wrong reasons ahead of the Paris Olympics when six top wrestlers staged a year-long protest against then WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, which resulted in the national body being suspended by both United World Wrestling and the Sports Ministry for various reasons. Now a new national federation has been set up under new office-bearers. The damage that these protests and court cases have done to Indian wrestling is clearly visible in the number of male wrestlers who have qualified for Paris. Aman Sehrawat is the only male wrestler who will try his luck in Paris.
Weightlifting has brought India much glory at the Olympics with Karnam Malleswari winning bronze at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and Mirabai Chanu winning silver at Tokyo 2021. But Sanamacha Chanu and Pratima Kumari brought disgrace to India at the 2004 Athens Olympics with doping, days after double-trap shooter Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore gave India its first individual silver medal at the Games.
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Monika Devi, the only weightlifter for the Beijing Olympics 2008, missed out on participation after testing positive for an anabolic substance. Shooters have been the pride of the Indian contingent since Rathore won a silver medal and Abhinav Bindra won the country’s first individual gold medal in Beijing in 2008. Pistol shooter Vijay Kumar and rifle shooter Gagan Narang continued the tradition at London 2012. But Indian shooters failed to win medals at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2021.
Last time, the controversy surrounding young pistol shooter Manu Bhaker’s coach Jaspal Rana was in the news. The shooter’s pistol malfunctioned at the Olympics and the subsequent events disappointed her. Then the head of the Indian National Shooting Federation Raninder Singh targeted Jaspal and called him a ‘negative’ factor. India’s record 21 shooters will participate in Paris in a few days and it is hoped that they will be able to break this myth by winning medals this time. Many former shooters, including Asian Games gold medalist double trap shooter Ranjan Sodhi and 2012 London Olympics rapid fire silver medalist Vijay Kumar, believe that the preparations have not been ideal, the reason behind which has been the method of preparation with a lot of delay in the selection of the team.