Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik were the faces of the protest against then WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. PTI
Indian wrestling continued to hog the limelight for the wrong reasons and there were many of them on Thursday. The fallout of the controversial decision to hand Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia exemption from competing at the Asian Games trials continued. Elsewhere, BJP MP and outgoing Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh was in court over a bail plea.
Here’s how a whirlwind day unfolded in Indian wrestling:
Several young wrestlers and their families carried out protests at the door of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). They vowed not to leave the headquarters of the apex sports body till the exemptions for Punia and Phogat are not withdrawn.
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The wrestling fraternity called the decision, taken by the IOA appointed ad-hoc committee without consulting with the coaches, unjust and unfair.
Wrestlers from training centres in Rohtak (Chhotu Ram Akhada), Narela (Virender Singh’s centre), Hisar (Baba Lal Das Akhada) Delhi (Hanuman Akhada and Chhatrasal Stadium), alongside senior citizens, gathered at the Olympic Bhawan.
Around 100 people gathered outside the Olympic Bhawan and urged IOA Secretary General Kalyan Chaubey to ensure fair trial.
Read | IOA on exemptions: ‘Final selection will be made prior to departure for Asian Games’
The IOA official, after conferring with his colleagues, met the protesters and assured them support.
“I am here, my wife is here and even Antim’s (Panghal) grandmother is here. Yogeshwar (Dutt) is also supporting us. We have met Kalyan Chaubey and made it clear that no exemption should be given to anyone. We will not leave this place until exemption is withdrawn,” Ram Niwas, Panghal’s father, told news agency PTI.
“Chaubey told us that now the matter is in the court, they can’t interfere. He said ‘we are not in a position to make a decision. If the court does not decide in your favour, then IOA will hold a meeting and try to help you’,” Niwas added.
Reigning U20 World Champion Antim Panghal and U23 Asian Champion Sujeet Kalkal are leading the demand for a fair trial and have gone to court demanding justice.
Anshu Malik supports junior grapplers
जूनियर खिलाड़ियों की ट्रायल की माँग बिल्कुल सही है और ये उनका अधिकार है। मैं जूनियर खिलाड़ियों की माँग का समर्थन करती हूं।@ianuragthakur @PTUshaOfficial @ PMOIndia @Media_SAI @timesofindia @IndianExpress #Adhoc committee
(2/2)— Anshu Malik ???????? (@OLyAnshu) July 20, 2023
Anshu Malik, who was part of the protest against Sharan Singh at Jantar Mantar in January, tweeted her support for the junior grapplers.
“An athlete’s biggest dream is to win medals at events such as the Olympics and the Asian Games and make all the countrymen proud but what if the rights of those players are snatched,” tweeted World Championships and Commonwealth Games silver medallist Anshu.
“The demand for trials by junior players is correct and it is their right. I support the demand by the junior players,” the 57kg class category wrestler wrote in another tweet.
Sakshi Malik says they didn’t ask for exemption
Sakshi Malik, one of the six protesting wrestlers at Jantar Mantar, said she was never in favour of trial exemptions. She added the government has actually tried to divide them by unilaterally making the decision.
The exemptions were handed to Punia and Phogat but not to the other four wrestlers in the protest – including Rio Olympics medallist Sakshi Malik.
सरकार ने एशियन गेम्स में सीधे नाम भेजकर पहलवानों की एकता को तोड़ने का काम किया है. मैं न कभी बिना ट्रायल खेलने गई हूँ और न ही इसका समर्थन करती हूँ. सरकार की इस मंशा से विचलित हूँ. हमने ट्रायल्स की डेट आगे बढ़वाने की बात कही थी लेकिन सरकार ने हमारी झोली में यह बदनामी डाल दी है.
— Sakshee Malikkh (@SakshiMalik) July 20, 2023
“The government has attempted to break the unity of the wrestlers by sending direct entries (in two categories). I have never competed without appearing in trials and I do not support it,” she tweeted.
“I am a bit rattled. We had just asked to push the trials date but now the government has put infamy in our laps,” she said.
In a video message she said, the government had offered her exemption but she refused.
“I had got a call from the government side that we are giving direct entries to two (Bajrang and Vinesh) for Asian Games and if you want then you also write an email, we will do’ but I refused.”
Sakshi is unlikely to compete in the Asian Games trials as she continues her training in the USA. The trials are scheduled to be held on July 22-23.
Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and Vinod Tomar get bail
Away from the fracas revolving around the trials, a Delhi court granted regular bail to Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in a case of sexual harassment of women wrestlers.
The court also allowed the bail application of suspended WFI assistant secretary Vinod Tomar.
“I am granting bail on a bond of Rs 25,000 each with certain conditions,” Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Harjeet Singh Jaspal said.
The metropolitan court made it clear that the accused could not leave the country without permission from the court and not offer any inducement to witnesses in the case.
The Delhi Police had filed a charge sheet against the six-time MP on June 15 under sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354A (sexual harassment), 354D (stalking) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
(with inputs from PTI)
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