Asian Games: More Than Its Share Of Controversies Even Before Team Leaves Indian Shores

The deepening crisis in wrestling ahead of the Asian Games turned out to be the biggest controversy in the run-up to the continental showpiece, which will begin in Hangzhou on September 23. Even as the Indian contingent prepares to fly out to China with the target of achieving the 100-medal mark for the first time in the history of the Games, the country's grapplers, especially Olympic bronze medallist Bajrang Punia will be in the spotlight, as he along with five others launched a campaign to oust the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, to ensure "safety of women grapplers".

Here are some of the controversies, which cast a shadow on Indian sport as the athletes prepared for the continental Games.

WRESTLING: The sport took centre stage not for sporting achievements but off the mat issues as some of the most decorated grapplers in the country, including Olympic medallists Punia and Sakshi Malik and 2018 Asian Games gold medallist Vinesh Phogat protested for nearly two months at the Jantar Mantar demanding the ouster of BJP politician and WFI president Brij Bhushan, alleging sexual harassment of seven female wrestlers, including a minor.

The Sports Ministry swung into action and dissolved the federation, handing the responsibility to run the sport in the hands of an Indian Olympic Association-constituted ad-hoc committee, which courted its own set of controversies before holding trials to select the contingent for the Asian Games.

Punia and Vinesh got exemption from appearing in the trials and went to train abroad even as the khaps of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh became divided on who should go for the Asian Games. As luck would have it, Vinesh (53kg category) got injured and Antim Panghal, who had