Ace Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia, along with Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, and her husband Satywart Kadiyan, has filed an urgent joint petition in the Delhi High Court. They seek a stay on the Wrestling Federation of India’s (WFI) upcoming national trials scheduled for March 10-11. The petition comes after rejecting WFI’s invitation to participate in the trials. The matter is set to be heard on Friday.
Bajrang Punia, currently training in Russia, questions the government’s silence on issues within Indian wrestling. He emphasizes concerns about the legitimacy of trials organized by the suspended WFI, led by Sanjay Singh. Bajrang insists on trials conducted either by an ad-hoc panel or the government.
“I would not spend Rs 30 lakh on my training if I were to not compete in the trials, but how the suspended WFI is conducting the trials? I don’t get what the government’s compulsion is (on allowing WFI to conduct trials)?” Bajrang said.
“I don’t understand how a sports body suspended by the Indian government issues a circular and announces the trials. Why is the government silent? We will appear in the trials only if the ad-hoc panel or the government conducts it. How can a suspended body announce the trials?” he asked.
A joint decision by Bajrang, Sakshi, and Vinesh to skip WFI Trials
The decision to skip the trials is a collective one among Bajrang, Sakshi, and Vinesh. This move follows a prolonged protest at Jantar Mantar, where they demanded action against former WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over sexual harassment allegations.
“This decision to not appear in trials is a joint decision taken by us. We are together in this,” he said.
While Bajrang confirmed the joint decision, efforts to reach Sakshi and Vinesh for confirmation were unsuccessful. Although Bajrang denied filing a petition against the trials, a WFI source confirmed that the four wrestlers have approached the Delhi High Court.
Despite the lifting of suspension by the United World Wrestling (UWW), the government’s decision regarding WFI’s status remains pending. Sakshi’s retirement and Vinesh’s successful comeback to competitive wrestling add further context to the ongoing developments in Indian wrestling.
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