Wrestlers vs WFI chief: Non-protesting wrestlers request resumption of national camp
By PTI News | First Published May 2, 2023, 6:41 PM ISTIndian wrestlers do not intend to stop protests against WFI and its president anytime soon. Meanwhile, the non-protesting wrestlers have gone frustrated over the lack of activities and urged for the national camp's resumption.
The national camp shut, and the controversy surrounding Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh still raging, several non-protesting wrestlers on Tuesday demanded that the Sports Authority of India (SAI) must reopen its centres for grapplers since the lack of proper training is harming their preparations for the 2023 Asian Games.
The men's national camp for freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestlers are held at SAI's centre in Bahalgarh (Sonepat), while the women's camp is organised in Lucknow. The country's premier wrestlers, including Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat, have levelled sexual harassment allegations against the WFI chief and resumed their protest at Jantar Mantar on April 23.
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The national camp was closed on April 8, a day before the Asian Championship in Astana, Kazakhstan, and has not yet restarted. More than 300 wrestlers in 10 weight categories -- senior, junior, cadet and U15 -- train at the SAI centre in Sonepat, while the Lucknow centre accommodates more than 100 women wrestlers.
"I don't have proper sparring partners with me to train. We need to be in a national camp. The Asian Games trials are just two months away. The SAI should restart the camp. Why should junior wrestlers suffer? There are about 25 wrestlers where I train, and most of them are juniors. So, I need proper training partners. They are inexperienced. Not much time is left for Asian Games; the World Championship is also scheduled. The national camp must restart," Narsingh Pancham Yadav told PTI from Mumbai.
Asked about the ongoing protest by the top wrestlers, Narsingh said, "I don't know the truth. If something like that [sexual harassment] has happened, then it's wrong." Sandeep Deshwal, who competes in Greco-Roman style in the 82kg category, also said it had been a struggle since the national camp shut.
"I have been in Rohtak since the camp closed. It isn't easy. Jor nahi ho pa raha [The mat training has become a big issue]. I have spoken to the coaches several times, but no one knows why the national camp is not restarting." National Greco-Roman coach Hargobind Singh also needed to be more knowledgeable.
"I have spoken to SAI officials multiple times but have no definitive answer. A lot of time has passed since the Asian Championships in Astana (April 9-14). By this time, the camp should have resumed. It's an Asian Games year, and there should not be this big a gap in training," said Hargobind.
The Indian wrestlers had won 14 medals at the Asian Championship, with the women winning seven. While Bajrang Punia, Ravi Dahiya (injury) and Vinesh Phogat chose not to compete in Astana, other prominent wrestlers, like Deepak Punia and Sarita Mor, are world championships medallists, could not win a medal.
Lalita Sharma, the executive director at SAI Sonpeat Centre, said they have "not received any communication regarding the national camp as of now". The PTI tried to reach out to SAI DG Sandip Pradhan, but several calls to him went unanswered. He also has yet to respond to messages. Meanwhile, a woman wrestler said she would only like to join the national camp if there is clarity.
"I am doing fine at my training centre. The wrestlers who are sound financially, like a few from Rajasthan and UP, perhaps for them the camp is a better place because they get diet, supplements, gym and other required facilities, but for us, we can train anywhere," the wrestler who did not wish to be named said.
"There has to be clarity on who the coaches will be at the camp and who we need to contact in case of an issue. Wrestling is as much mental as physical. In the current scenario, saying anything is difficult if I want to rejoin the camp. If the camp resumes at the Lucknow centre only, it should be fine, but if it's shifted to another place, we need clarity on a few things. Otherwise, not many women wrestlers join the camp. Most of them prefer to train at their training centres," she concluded.
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