Olympics 2024 | IOA chief PT Usha slams WFI ad-hoc panel for exclusion of Antim Panghal's coaches in long list

New Delhi: IOA President P T Usha on Wednesday came down heavily on the ad-hoc panel that managed the suspended 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 Indian Olympic Association's reaction came in the wake of delay in visa clearance for Panghal's preferred coaches for the Games.

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 wants her coaches Bhagat Singh and Vikas to travel with her along with physiotherapist Heera. The IOA has 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 supports staff members have got appointment for bio-metrics for August 2.

IOA had, in December 2023, named its EC member Bhupendra Singh Bajwa as the head of the ad-hoc panel and made MM Somaya and Manjusha Kanwar as the other members.

The IOA President also took an indirect dig at SAI for not being attentive enough.

"It is strange that the responsible authorities, who approved the long list of athletes, coaching and support staff, did not deem it fit to recommend the inclusion of Bhagat Singh or Heera or Vikas.

"It was only after Antim's father came to IOA a few days ago that I stepped in to have them cleared by the Ministry," Usha said.

Meanwhile, an IOA source told PTI that Panghal instead of going to VFS (Visa Facilitation Services), should have approached IOA for intervention.

"If they had come to us, we would have requested the French Embassy and it would have been done easily since the embassy is very supportive. We would have intervened and sought a solution but I think they were being misled by someone," the official said.

The IOA chief appreciated the French Embassy for its support.

"Many athletes will vouch that IOA has been proactive in getting their coaches and support personnel accreditations or visas from the Embassy of France in India.

"The Embassy in Delhi and its consulates elsewhere have extended the greatest support in processing visa requests not only from such personnel but also from journalists who do not have accreditation," she said.

"We are confident that despite such misleading reports, IOA will be able to facilitate a speedy processing of visa requests of those coaches and support staff cleared by the Ministry," Usha said.