Two top Indian wrestlers have been “sleeping on the floor” at Dubai airport after record rainfall disrupted travel to and from the Middle East financial centre, Indian media reported.
The Indian Express newspaper said Paris Olympics hopeful Deepak Punia and fellow wrestler Sujeet Kalkal had been stuck at the airport since Tuesday while en route to Bishkek for the Asian Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
Scores of flights were delayed, cancelled, or diverted during Tuesday’s torrential rain when planes were seen taxiing on submerged runways.
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Kalkal’s father said the athletes were hoping to get on a flight from Dubai late on Thursday to make it in time for their bouts, scheduled in Bishkek for Friday.
“They have been sleeping on the floor of the terminal and have not been able to eat proper food. They are in a terrible situation,” the newspaper quoted Kalkal’s father Dayanand as saying.
Operations have slowed to a crawl at Dubai airport, the world’s busiest by international traffic, because staff were unable to arrive with roads flooded and most public transport suspended.
With nearly every flight repeatedly delayed, passengers were told to stay away “unless absolutely necessary”, Dubai Airports said.
Emirates, Dubai’s flagship airline, cancelled all check-ins.
The Asian Wrestling Olympic Qualifiers in Bishkek is scheduled to kick-start from April 19. There will be a total of 36 Paris 2024 quotas on offer in 18 weight divisions in Bishkek.
India has fielded seventeen wrestlers.
This qualifier will be the penultimate opportunity for Indian grapplers to secure a quota for the Summer Games. The World Qualification Tournament in Turkey, scheduled in May, will be the final wrestling qualifiers.
Indian squad:
Men’s Greco-Roman: Sumit (60kg), Ashu (67kg), Vikas (77kg), Sunil (87kg), Nitesh (97kg), Naveen (130kg)
Women’s freestyle: Vinesh Phogat (50kg), Anshu Malik (57kg), Mansi (62kg), Nisha (68kg), Reetika Hooda (76kg)
Men’s freestyle: Aman Sehrawat (57kg), Sujeet (65kg), Jaideep (74kg), Deepak Punia (86kg), Deepak (97kg), Sumit (125kg)
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