New Delhi, Sep 22 (IANS) The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has served a show-cause notice to Paris Olympics bronze medallist Aman Sehrawat after he was found overweight at the recently concluded World Wrestling Championships in Zagreb.

Third-seeded Aman, seen as a strong medal contender in the men’s 57kg freestyle category, was declared ineligible to compete after he tipped the scales 1.7kg over the weight limit. The WFI also issued notices to the support staff who assisted him during the event.

“We have served a show-cause notice to Paris Olympics bronze medallist Aman Sehrawat for being overweight at the World Wrestling Championships. The same notice has also been issued to the support staff assisting him in Zagreb. They must reply by September 29. We will hear their side of the story before taking a final decision,” WFI president Sanjay Singh told IANS.

Singh underlined the federation’s zero-tolerance approach towards weight violations, reminding wrestlers of their responsibility to the sport and to the country. “We had earlier suspended Neha Sangwan for being overweight. When the government is spending crores on you, you must take things seriously or be ready to face action,” he said.

The incident marks the third time in a year that an Indian wrestler has missed out on competing at a major international event due to weight issues. At the Paris Olympics, Vinesh Phogat was forced out of the women’s 50kg final after being overweight, costing India a potential medal. Last month, promising 59kg wrestler Neha Sangwan too failed to make weight at the World Under-20 Championships.

WFI under-23 trials scheduled in Lucknow and Delhi will.commence on October 4 and will end on next day. These trials will determine India’s squad for the World Under-23 Championships in Novi Sad, Serbia, from October 20 to 26.

–IANS

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