Zagreb Open: Five wrestlers, including Bajrang, did not agree to team selection

The ad hoc panel of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) today announced the 13-member Indian squad for the Zagreb Open in Croatia. Meanwhile, Bajrang Punia, Ghilani Panghal and three other wrestlers did not consent to their selection to the ad-hoc panel due to which India will not be represented in the five categories of the tournament. Panghal wants to attend the National Sports Awards ceremony where she will be honored with the Arjuna Award. Similarly, Olympic bronze medalist Bajrang has also decided not to participate in the tournament. Due to this, his name was not included in the team selected by the ad hoc panel for the men’s freestyle category. When Bajrang was asked about his absence from the team, he said, “I had a thumb surgery recently. I haven’t started mat training yet. There is no point going into a tournament without proper practice.”