Wrestler Vinesh Phogat on Friday accused the WFI of making an attempt to cease her from competing within the Olympic Qualifiers by creating logistical hurdles for her help employees, a cost vehemently denied by the federation which claimed that she utilized after the deadline to ship entries had expired.
The 29-year-old Phogat, who gained 53kg bronze medals within the 2019 and 2022 World Championships in addition to a gold within the 2018 Asian Games (in 50kg), additionally mentioned she is frightened of being trapped in a doping case.
Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) mentioned Phogat’s request mail (for accreditation of her coach and physio) got here on March 18 however by then it had already despatched the entries of the gamers, coaches and medical employees to the world governing physique UWW because the registration dedaline was March 11.
A WFI official mentioned the federation despatched the entries round March 15 after UWW relaxed the deadline a bit on its request as a result of the trials have been accomplished solely on the final day of the deadline.
Phogat is eyeing an Olympic quota within the 50kg class within the Asian qualifying event subsequent week in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
At the choice trials in Patiala, she had additionally competed within the 53kg class after the authorities allowed her however misplaced within the semifinals.
“Brij Bhushan and his dummy Sanjay Singh are trying in every way to stop me from playing in the Olympics. All the coaches who have been appointed with the team are the favourites of Brij Bhushan and his team, so it cannot be denied that they may mix something in my water and make me drink it during my match?” Phogat mentioned in prolonged submit on his ‘X’ web page.
“If I say that there could be a conspiracy to trap me in doping, then it will not be wrong.”
Phogat alleged that her private coach and physio have been being denied accreditation for the Asian Olympic qualifying event beginning April 19.
“For the past one month, I have been requesting the Government of India (SAI, TOPS) for the accreditation of my coach and physio. Without accreditation, it is not possible for my coach and physio to accompany me to the competition arena,” she mentioned.
“But regardless of repeated requests, I’m not getting any concrete reply from wherever. No one is able to assist. Will the way forward for gamers all the time be performed with like this?
“No stone is being left unturned to mentally harass us. How far is it justified to torture us like this before such an important competition?” she requested.
Making the Federation’s stand clear, a WFI official, who didn’t want to be named, instructed PTI that it had no objection if Phogat desires to journey together with her private coach and physio however she herself has to get the accreditation from the UWW because the deadline to ship entries is already over.
“Her e-mail was primarily directed to the ad-hoc panel and the TOPS CEO even because the federation was additionally marked in it. She despatched her request on March 18 however the federation had already registered the help employees by then.
“And, we didn’t get any directive from the Ministry or SAI that Phogat’s coach must be added to the record. We may have tried, if we had any such instruction. After all, the mail was primarily given to them.
“See, we’re allowed to ship three coaches for 10 gamers. Nine coaches are already in Bishkek for the Asian Championship for 30 wrestlers and the identical set of coaches will probably be there for the Asian Qualifier the place we could have solely 5 girls wrestlers competing. Are three coaches not sufficient for 5 wrestlers?
“Why send extra coaches? But if Vinesh wants her personal coach in Bishkek, she can try to get it done from UWW. We have no objection to that.”
A WFI supply added that the lads’s free model wrestler Deepak Punia, who gained a silver medal on the 2019 World Championships had additionally requested for his private coach to journey with him. One request for Greco Roman coach Anil Pandit was additionally obtained.
“They had also sent similar mails but we did not have any instruction from the government if they need to be accommodated. It’s not that Vinesh is being singled out. We have been fair to all,” mentioned the official.
Phogat was one of many three high wrestlers of the nation who led a protracted protest in opposition to former WFI President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, accusing him of sexually harassing girls wrestlers.
After a case was filed in opposition to Brij Bhushan by Delhi Police, a neighborhood court docket granted him bail in July.
She questioned if the difficulties she is going through now are because of the protest she led alongside Olympic bronze medal winners Bjarnag Punia and Sakshi Malik.
“Will we face politics even earlier than we go to play for the nation as a result of we raised our voice in opposition to sexual harassment? Is this the punishment for elevating voice in opposition to unsuitable in our nation?
“I hope we will get justice before we go to play for the country.”
