WFI and wrestlers on collision course again

Vinayak Padmadeo

New Delhi, April 4

The Mission Olympic Cell meeting on Thursday will see the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) again pitted against wrestlers.

The Indian team will participate in the Asian Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan, from April 9. Top grapplers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia will not be in action at the event as they did not appear in the trials.

Anshu Malik, Deepak Punia and Sarita Mor have requested that their personal coaches and support staff be allowed to travel with them to Astana.

WFI, who will represented by its secretary general VN Prasood at the Thursday meeting, made it clear that they will not support the wrestlers’ requests as they would not be allowed access to the field of play (FOP) during the tournament because they do not possess a valid registration to attend it.

“It will be opposed for sure. We have physios and other staff travelling so we do not see any logic behind their inclusion,” said a WFI source.

Haryana’s 57kg grappler Anshu has requested the inclusion of Ajay Dhanda in the contingent as her personal coach. Dhanda runs the Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Kushti and Kabaddi Academy in Mirchpur, Haryana. Anshu’s father Dharamveer had trained her during her younger years.

Similarly, Sarita wants SAI coach Kamini Yadav to be in her corner when she takes the mat in Astana. However, WFI says Yadav has neither attended a single national camp nor trained Sarita. Sarita’s husband and former international Rahul Mann has been coaching her for years.

Deepak Punia, too, has sent in a request for the inclusion of his personal coach Kamel Malikov and physio Shubham Gupta in the Indian party. It is learnt that Punia’s request will be opposed because he is taking part in a non-Olympics category, and also as WFI as already got support staff on board for the tournament.