Indian female wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik have earned quota places for India in the Rio Olympics 2016 on Saturday. The duo are currently competing in the amateur wrestling World Qualifying tournament in Istanbul.
While 21-year-old Vinesh qualified in the 48 kg women's amateur freestyle wrestling event, Sakshi booked the berth for India in the 58 kg women's amateur freestyle wrestling event.
Sandeep Tomar (57kg freestyle wrestling), Yogeshwar Dutt (65kg freestyle), Narsingh Yadav (74kg freestyle) and Hardeep Singh (Greco-Roman 98kg) had earlier booked places for the country in the quadrennial sporting event.
Vinesh was earlier disqualified for being overweight during the World Qualification tournament held in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia last month. However, the 21-year-old was let off with a warning from the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), as they believed she would make the cut for the Olympics in the Istanbul event.
More wrestlers could have joined the duo for the Rio Games, but it was an embarrassing sight as many of India's big names, including Geeta Phogat (women's 58kg), Babita Kumari (women's 53kg), Sumit (men's 125kg freestyle) and Rahul Aware (men's 57kg freestyle), were handed a temporary suspension by the WFI for indiscipline.
