Wrestling News: Were COVID-19 rules flouted at Wrestling Nationals?

After reports surfaced that social distancing norms were flouted at the recently-concluded Wrestling Nationals at the Noida Stadium, the Sports Authority of India had asked the Wrestling Federation of India for a possible justification over the entire matter. SAI has also requested the Indian Olympic Association to sensitize all National Sports Federations to follow the covid protocols strictly to ensure the safety of athletes. However, former national wrestling coach Mahabir Prasad, who was present at the venue, said that no such violation of social distancing norms was flouted and that it’s just politics that is adding fuel to the fire. On December 26, the sports ministry had released an eight-page Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for organizing competitions in the midst of a pandemic, in which it underlined that the events should be conducted ‘strictly in accordance with the guidelines of the Ministry of Home Affairs’. On top of everything, wrestling became the first major Olympic sport to hold its national championship since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.