Non-protesting wrestlers demand resumption of camps amid worries over Asian Games

Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik sit in protest (Pic: AFP)

Amid intensifying wrestlers' protest at Jantar Mantar against the WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, several non-protesting wrestlers on Tuesday demanded that the SAI must reopen its centres for grapplers since the lack of proper training is making a profound impact on their preparations for the upcoming Asian Games. While the men's national camp for freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestlers is held at Sports Authority of India's centre in Bahalgarh, the women's camp is organised in Lucknow.

The country's top wrestlers, including Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, and Bajrang Punia, have been protesting since April 23, demanding criminal action against Singh for alleged sexual harassment and intimidation of seven wrestlers including a minor. An FIR has also been filed against the BJP MP. It has come to notice that the national camp was closed on April 8, a day before the Asian Championship in Kazakhstan, and has not yet restarted.

Over 300 wrestlers in ten 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 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 junior. So obviously I don't have proper training partners. They are inexperienced. Not much time is left for Asian Games and after that, the World Championship is also scheduled. The national camp must restart," Narsingh Pancham Yadav told PTI from Mumbai.

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Asked about the ongoing protest by the country's premier 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 has been a struggle for him since the national camp shut. "I am in Rohtak since the camp closed. It's really difficult. Jor nahi ho pa raha (The mat training has become a big issue). I have spoken to the coaches also several times but no one knows why the national camp is not restarting."

National Greco-Roman coach Hargobind Singh also appeared clueless. "I have spoken to SAI officials multiple times but have not got a definitive answer. A lot of time has passed since the Asian Championship 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," he said.

The Indian wrestlers had won 14 medals at the Asian Championship with the women winning seven of them. While Bajrang Punia, Ravi Dahiya (injury) and Vinesh Phogat chose not to compete in Astana, other prominent wrestlers, like Deepak Punia and Sarita Mor, who are world championships medallists, could not win a medal.

The PTI tried to reach out to SAI DG Sandip Pradhan but several calls to him went unanswered. He also did not respond to messages. Meanwhile, a woman wrestler said unless there is clarity she won't like to join the national camp.

"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 who the coaches will be at the camp and who do we need to reach out to, in case there is an issue. Wrestling is as much mental as physical. In the current scenario, it's difficult to say anything if I would like to rejoin the camp. If the camp resumes at Lucknow centre only, then it should be fine but if it's shifted to some other place, we need to get clarity on a few things. Otherwise also not many women wrestlers join the camp, most of them prefer to train at their own training centres," she said.

(With PTI inputs)