Flight Delay Bars Wrestlers Punia and Kalkal from Olympic Qualifiers

Deepak Punia, a wrestler who just lost out on a medal at the Tokyo Olympic, suffered a major setback to his hopes of competing in the Paris Games when he and fellow competitor Sujeet Kalkal were denied entry to the Asian Olympic Qualifiers on Friday.

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According to reports, the two, who had detained at the airport in Dubai since Tuesday, arrive in the host city of Bishkek on Friday morning just after eight in the morning. The weigh-in, when wrestlers must record their body weights and demonstrate that they match the requirements, had already started by that point, and the organisers had already declined to let them in. Despite their persuasive arguments, the organisers did not grant any exceptions.

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Stranded Wrestlers Pin Hopes on World Qualifiers After Flight Delay Nightmare

Now, Punia and Kalkal have just one more opportunity to earn a spot in the Paris Olympics, which is in the World Qualifiers the following month. The wrestlers have been stuck at the Dubai International Airport since Tuesday, along with team physiotherapist Shubham Gupta and coach Kamal Malikov, due to the unprecedented rains that have create flooding and disruptions.

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Concerns Over Wrestlers’ Well-being Amid Airport Ordeal as India’s Qualification Campaign Kicks Off

Dayanand, Kalkal’s father, expressed concern on Thursday for his son’s safety, saying that he was sleeping on the airport floor and not eating enough. Later in the day on Friday, men’s freestyle bouts are schedule to kick off India’s qualification campaign. The men’s team will be led by emerging talent Aman Sehrawat in the 57kg category in Punia’s absence.

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Punia and Kalkal’s Olympic Hopes Hang in the Balance

Punia and Kalkal were travelling alone, while the other Indian wrestlers—including Vinesh Phogat, who is scheduled to participate on Saturday—left Delhi straight for Bishkek. The pair spent April 2–15 training in Dagestan, Russia. The WFI had arranged for them to fly via Dubai from Makachkala to Bishkek on April 16.

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However, the massive rains that have pounded the Emirates have seriously delayed operations at the Dubai airport. The UAE government reports that Tuesday’s 259.5 mm of rain was the most the nation has seen in 75 years.