Invitation declined
Ace Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia has filed an urgent joint case in the Delhi High Court seeking a stay on the selection competition scheduled for March 10–11, after turning down the Wrestling Federation of India’s offer to participate in the next national trials.
Reliable sources have informed us that the court was brought on Wednesday by Bajrang, Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, and her husband Satywart Kadiyan. The issue is scheduled to be heard on Friday.
Bajrang questioned the government’s silence on the matter, even though he did not acknowledge filing a suit.
the problems with Indian wrestling.
Based on the results of the trials held in Delhi’s IG Stadium, teams will be chosen for the Asian Championships (April 11–16) and the continental Olympics qualifier (April 19–21) in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan.
From Russia, where he has been training for the last two months, Bajrang told PTI that while he has spent a lot of money overseas, he would not participate in trials run by the Sanjay Singh-led WFI.
“If I were not to participate in the trials, I would not spend Rs 30 lakh on my training, but how are the trials being run by the suspended WFI? I don’t understand why the government feels compelled to let the WFI carry out the trials. stated Bajrang.
“I fail to see how a sporting organization that the Indian government has suspended can publish a notice announcing the trials. What is the reason for the government’s silence? Only if the government or the ad hoc panel conducts the trials will we be present. How can the trials be announced by a suspended body? He continued.
WFI President Sanjay Singh has urged the wrestlers who were protesting to put the past behind them and show up for the trials.
The three had spearheaded an extended demonstration at Jantar Mantar, calling for the arrest of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the president of the WFI at the time, on charges of sexual harassment.
Sakshi and Vinesh will also forego the trials, according to Bajrang, the bronze medallist from the Tokyo Olympics. We both decided together to forego participating in the trials. We are all in this together,” he said.
PTI attempted to get in touch with Sakshi and Vinesh for confirmation, but the former did not pick up the phone, while the latter was unreachable.
When asked directly whether they had filed a lawsuit against the trials, Bajrang refuted the news, but a WFI source told PTI that four wrestlers had filed a lawsuit against the Delhi High Court.
The government, which had previously suspended the federation for breaking regulations, has not yet decided whether to remove the ban on the United World Wrestling, which dropped the suspension on the WFI earlier this month.
While Vinesh, one of the most decorated Indian wrestlers, had a successful return to competitive wrestling earlier this month by winning gold at the Nationals in Jaipur, Sakshi has already declared her retirement.
