Haryana Khaps Distancing Themselves From Controversy Over Wrestling Selection: “Not a Matter for us to Decide”

On Saturday, the khaps in Haryana dissociated themselves from the debate surrounding the choice of wrestlers for the forthcoming Asian Games, asserting that only the national federation has the authority to make such a difficult decision.

This was resolved during a khap panchayat (village council) meeting presided over by Om Prakash of the hamlet of Kandela in Haryana.

When Olympic medalist Bajrang Punia (65 kg) and world medalist Vinesh Phogat (53 kg) were granted an exemption, it sparked outrage among wrestlers and their families, who threatened to boycott the Asian Games trials.

While Bajrang had said he would follow the khap panchayats’ judgment, Vinesh has subsequently had surgery.

Following their accusations of sexual harassment against departing Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) head Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, women including Bajrang, Vinesh, and Sakshi Malik received support from the khaps.

“Today’s panchayat was exclusive to athletes. The panchayat has determined that the selection of wrestlers for the Asian Games is not a subject for the khaps to resolve, and should instead be addressed by the federation,” Om Prakash stated.

Only the athletes’ federation (WFI) has the authority to make this decision; not the khap. In opposition to this, the khap panchayat is moving. Today’s khaps were mostly from the Jind district. The federation will handle this, and the khaps won’t get involved, he said.

The results of the two prior panchayats had remained ambiguous. Bajrang, whose controversy-provoking straight admission into the Asian Games, was absent from the event on Saturday.

He has said that he “will agree” to whatever the “Khap panchayat” decides.

The farmers, the khap panchayat, and several elite athletes, including Olympic gold medalist shooter Abhinav Bindra and reigning Olympic and world champion javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, supported the wrestlers during their protest against the WFI strongman from Gonda, Uttar Pradesh.