Commonwealth Games 2018: Despite being omitted from official entry list Sushil Kumar will participate, confirms IOA president
Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Narinder Batra, on Friday, confirmed that while Sushil Kumar's name has been omitted from the final list of wrestlers on the official Commonwealth Games website, the two-time Olympic medallist will take the mat in Gold Coast.
Saying that it was a mistake on the part of the authorities, Batra assured that the matter will be sorted out by today itself. "It is being taken care of today. It was a mistake at ther end. The chef-di-mission, Vikram Sisodia, is in touch with the authorities and it will be sorted out. There will be a revised list today," he told Sportskeeda.
On Thursday, the final list of wrestlers was released on the official website and curiously enough, Sushil's name was missing while the names of the 15 other wrestlers participating in the men's freestyle 74 kg were there. Moreover, the names of the 11 other Indian wrestlers prominently figured on the entry lists which led to more confusion.
Previously, in the build-up to the Commonwealth Games, Sushil's selection was marred by a bloodies trial. The elder brother of Praveen Rana, the brother of his fiercest competitor, was allegedly thrashed by the supporters of Sushil at the Indira Gandhi stadium in New Delhi. Nevertheless, having won all his bouts at the trial, the 34-year-old had qualified for the Games.
Sushil's omission left the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) baffled. While RK Hooda, vice president of the WFI, said he had no idea what was going on, PR Sodhi, an executive member had a different opinion. Sodhi told Sportskeeda, "I think Sushil's name has been omitted because recently, he has only taken part in the easier competitions like the Commonwealth Championships and withdrawn from the tougher ones."
There were even speculations that the seasoned wrestler had pulled out of the event because of an injury he sustained during the Pro Wrestling League (PWL). However, now that the IOA president himself has assured that the matter is being sorted out, everyone can heave a sigh of relief.