While some voices have been nonetheless supporting him, wrestlers and coaches spoke in hushed tones about feeling “a lot freer”, collaborating with out Brij Bhushan watching over them. “We are more pumped up and can participate without any pressure. Earlier the president would constantly hurl instructions over the mic and disrupt our rhythm. We just feel calmer with him not being around,” mentioned a wrestler, requesting anonymity.

For over a decade, Brij Bhushan has been a continuing presence at these occasions – sitting on a settee, a mic in his hand, giving directions and micro-managing the occasion. However, after he was accused of sexually harassing ladies wrestlers, an ad-hoc committee fashioned by the Indian Olympic Association has taken over the choice course of.

And because the committee has opened its doorways for any athlete who has performed state-level for the trials, there was a large spike within the participation numbers. For these trials alone, the committee obtained 2400 entries. On Day 1, there have been 550 registrations, in line with the organisers.

With such enormous numbers collaborating within the trials, each the wrestling halls on the SAI centre have been packed to the brim. The warmup mat on the Yogeshwar Dutt and Sushil Kumar corridor resembled a ration queue as athletes waited for his or her flip.

Most wrestlers appeared a bit reluctant to talk on the continuing protest and the allegations of sexual harassment levelled at Brij Bhushan however there was a way of aid that the trials have been being carried out underneath the ad-hoc committee.

“We wanted to give all the promising wrestlers a chance to participate. Since we have made it open, we are seeing new talent emerge. No one can complain now that there was favouritism in selections because we don’t know the athletes. Earlier we had a little fear if we could pull off the trials but we did it 10 days ago for another event. This time we are confident,” ad-hoc committee member Bhupender Singh Bajwa instructed The Indian Express.

A 17-year-old wrestler, who trains at an academy in Gurgaon, was among the many few who needed to share her views on the continuing protests. “My mother spoke to me about it and we support the wrestlers. We are with them and whatever happened was extremely wrong,” the wrestler mentioned.