NEW DELHI: Ace Indian wrestler
Bajrang Punia
has declined the
Wrestling Federation of India
's invitation to participate in the upcoming national trials. Instead, he has filed an urgent joint
petition
in the
Delhi High Court
, seeking a stay on the selection competition scheduled for March 10-11.
Reliable sources indicate that Bajrang, along with
Vinesh Phogat
, Sakshi Malik, and her husband Satywart Kadiyan, approached the court on Wednesday. The court is set to hear the matter on Friday.
Although Bajrang did not confirm filing a petition, he raised questions about the government's silence on issues related to Indian wrestling.
The selection of the Indian team for the Asian Wrestling Championships Olympic Qualifier in Kyrgyzstan next month will be based on the outcomes of the trials at Delhi's IG Stadium.
Bajrang told PTI from Russia, where he is training for the last two months, that he has spent a fortune abroad but he won't compete in trials if they are conducted by the Sanjay Singh-led WFI.
"I would not spend Rs 30 lakh on my training if I were to not compete in the trials, but how the suspended WFI 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.
WFI President
Sanjay Singh
has made an appeal to the protesting wrestlers, urging them to put the past behind and participate in the trials.
The trio, Bajrang, Sakshi, and Vinesh, had been involved in a prolonged protest at Jantar Mantar, calling for the arrest of the then WFI president
Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh
, whom they accused of sexual harassment.
Bajrang, the bronze medalist in the Tokyo Olympics, has announced that he, along with Sakshi and Vinesh, will be skipping the trials.
"This decision to not appear in trials is a joint decision taken by us. We are together in this," he said.
PTI tried to reach out Sakshi and Vinesh for confirmation but the former did not return calls and the latter could not be contacted.
Asked specifically if they have moved court against the trials, Bajrang denied the development but a source in the WFI confirmed to PTI that four wrestlers have approached the Delhi High Court.
The United World Wrestling (UWW) had lifted the suspension on the WFI earlier this month but the government, which had also suspended the national sports federation (NSF) for flouting rules, has not yet made such a decision.
Sakshi has already announced her retirement while Vinesh, one of the most decorated Indian wrestlers, made a winning comeback to competitive wrestling by winning gold at the Nationals in Jaipur earlier this month.
(With PTI inputs)
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