Sushil Kumar’s name did not originally feature in the official entry list for the Commonwealth Games but was added later, according to the Gold Coast 2018 website, in what appears to be a ‘clerical error’.
The 34-year-old’s name was supposed to be among the entries for the 74 kg competition for the Games, merely five days away, but wasn’t to be found among the start list uploaded onto the official site, earlier on Thursday.
His name however, does feature on the Gold Coast website and a rudimentary search for the wrestler’s name throws up a page, where he is listed as a competitor at the men’s freestyle 74 kg event.
Sushil, who has two Olympic medals to his name, and is the favourite in the 74-kg category, is a favourite to win his third Commonwealth Games gold but his participation has now been confirmed.
The Wrestling Federation of India was in the dark about the wrestler’s omission from the start list, according to a report in the Indian Express. When asked, WFI assistant secretary Vinod Tomar had told the daily, “From what we understand, it could be a technical error since there the entry forms had to be submitted online. We have raised the issue with the IOA as well as the event organisers. But since it was already late in the night in Gold Coast, we will know the actual reason on Friday.”
IOA president Narinder Batra stated, “I have asked our contingent officials to find out what has gone wrong. Everything is clear from our end, all the paperwork was done in time and we have also received his accreditation card.”
The Gold Coast games will be the wrestler’s first major tournament appearance since Glasgow in 2014. His bid for Rio 2016 was dashed by a feud with the federation. The same has continued this year, as the WFI and Sushil have not seen eye to eye after Parveen Rana, Sushil’s competitor at the trials for the CWG, allegedly filed a FIR against Sushil and his supporters for the use of physical violence.
Sushil has been training alone in Georgia prior to the event, while the others train at a camp in Sonepat.
Corrections and clarifications: This story initially stated that Sushil’s name was originally missing from the entry list on the Gold Coast website, but has been updated to reflect that he has been included in the 74 kg men’s section.