RSPB vs WFI: Railway wrestlers may miss out on National Games

ONCE again the rift between the Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB) and Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) is set to jeopardise the future of grapplers.

- FIROZ MIRZA

Not long before most of the Railway wrestlers were deprived of a chance to compete at the senior national championships organised by the WFI in Bengaluru over the federation's suspension issue. As things stand, they may miss out on a chance to compete at the 38th National Games scheduled to begin in Uttarakhand on January 28.

State wrestling associations had sent the entries to their respective state Olympic associations. According to a source, the list only features wrestlers who have finished in the Top 15 of the senior national championship in each weight category. The Games, like Olympics, will have competitions in six weight categories in each style (men's freestyle and Greco-Roman and women's wrestling). Uttarakhand, the host state, will have a quota in each weight category, taking the total competitors in every division to 16.