CHENNAI: With only a day remaining in the senior national wrestling championship to be organised by the ad-hoc committee in Jaipur, various affiliated state units of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) on Thursday claimed they didn’t send their respective teams for the event raising questions over participation in the tournament.
Notably, the WFI, which has been abstained from working by the sports ministry, had already organised the senior nationals in Pune from January 29 to 31. The organisers claimed that more than 20 state units out of 26 participated in the nationals. The sports ministry even warned the WFI from hosting the championship as it issued a letter on Tuesday saying any event conducted by the NSF (National Sports Federation) will be treated as ‘unsanctioned and unrecognised’.
“Wrestlers from Tamil Nadu Amateur Wrestling Association took part in the Pune nationals. We didn’t send the team for Jaipur event,” M Loganathan, general secretary of the state association told this daily. Adding further, he said, “I am not aware if any wrestlers from Tamil Nadu are competing in Jaipur but in nationals, only an affiliated state unit can send the entries. So if any wrestlers from the state compete in Jaipur then also that would not be considered official entry.”
Office-bearers from Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh also echoed the sentiments. “Wrestlers from Madhya Pradesh not only took part in the Pune competition but also won medals,” Suresh Yadav, secretary of the MP Amateur Wrestling Association, said.
Meanwhile, Bhupender Singh Bajwa, chairperson of the ad-hoc committee, while speaking to this daily affirmed that the hosts Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB) will organise memorable nationals. “... 600-700 wrestlers from more than 20 states/units including eminent wrestlers like Vinesh Phogat, Antim Panghal, Anshu Malik, Sarita Mor, Sunil Kumar, Yash, Sagar Jaglan, Deepak Punia, Nisha, Narender Cheema, Ravinder Khatri, Lalita etc will participate in Senior National Wrestling Championship. Top wrestling teams of India i.e. Indian Railways, Services, Haryana, Maharashtra, Punjab etc. will participate in this event,” said a statement issued by the panel.