CHENNAI: A Greco-Roman wrestler from Rajasthan was asked to pull out of the ongoing Senior National Championship in Bengaluru on Saturday after the Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB) allegedly failed to issue no-objection certificates (NOCs) to its wrestlers to compete in the event.
Dheeraj Chaudhary, employed by Indian Railways, had already won a bout in the 130kg weight category but later expressed his inability to continue competing. He cited receiving a call from his senior officials instructing him to withdraw.
"He got selected in his weight category after winning the state championship. Dheeraj won a bout as well on Saturday and then refused to compete, saying his employer asked him not to compete," said Ummed Singh, president of the Rajasthan Wrestling Association.
Singh added that he had contacted the sports officer, an Olympian, to address the issue. "I called the sports officer concerned, who is also an Olympian, and asked him the reason for Dheeraj getting pulled out. The sports officer said that the Railway wrestlers have not been given NOCs to compete in the ongoing event. If that was the case, the wrestler should have been instructed beforehand. We could have sent the silver medallist of the state championship for the nationals. Now the state unit cannot do anything," Singh concluded.
It should be noted that the RSPB had decided not to send entries to the nationals organised by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) because the National Sports Federation (NSF) has been suspended by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. Despite this decision, over 10 wrestlers from the Railways chose to compete representing their respective states.
A few of these wrestlers have spoken to The New Indian Express, claiming that neither the board has granted them permission nor has it ordered them to skip the nationals.
Singh remarked, "The state unit will take disciplinary action against the wrestler in question. Because of him, the state association has been deprived of an opportunity to compete for a national medal. More than him, it is the Railway board that has been jeopardising the future of its wrestlers."
RSPB Secretary Prem Chand Lochab, who is also the secretary-general of the WFI, did not respond to text messages on the matter. However, ahead of the nationals, Lochab had explained the rationale for not participating.
“The Elected Executive Committee of WFI has been suspended by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports on 24.12.2023. The Ministry has instructed the newly elected Executive Committee of WFI to abstain from administering and managing the day-to-day activities of the federation with immediate effect until further orders. Also, the Hon’ble High Court of Delhi on 16 August 2024 has held that the ad-hoc Committee of Indian Olympic Association will continue to manage affairs of WFI until such time the Union of India order dated 24.12.2023 remains in force. In such a situation, it would not be in the fittest of things to send Railways’ team officially in an unrecognised event,” Lochab replied to a text message from The New Indian Express last week.
The nationals began on Friday with competitions in the men’s freestyle category. Saturday saw bouts in 10 weight categories of men’s Greco-Roman wrestling and two weight categories in women’s wrestling.
Bouts in the remaining eight weight categories of women’s wrestling will take place on Sunday. The WFI will also hold its annual general meeting on the same day.