With the national camp for wrestlers shut down and controversy surrounding the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh still ongoing, several non-protesting wrestlers are demanding that the Sports Authority of India (SAI) reopen its centers for grapplers. The lack of proper training is having an adverse impact on their preparations for the Asian Games.
More than 300 wrestlers in 10 weight categories, including senior, junior, cadet, and U15, train at the SAI center in Sonepat, while the Lucknow center accommodates over 100 women wrestlers. The men’s national camp for freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestlers is held at the SAI center in Bahalgarh, and the women’s camp is organized in Lucknow.
The national camp was closed on April 8, a day before the Asian Championship in Astana, Kazakhstan, and has not yet restarted. The country’s premier wrestlers, including Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat, have leveled sexual harassment allegations against the WFI chief and resumed their protest at Jantar Mantar on April 23.
“I don’t have proper sparring partners with me to train. We need to be in the national camp. The Asian Games trials are just two months away. The SAI should restart the camp. Why should the junior wrestlers suffer?” said Narsingh Pancham Yadav from Mumbai. “There are about 25 wrestlers where I train, and most of them are junior. So obviously I don’t have proper training partners. They are inexperienced. Not much time is left for the Asian Games, and after that, the World Championship is also scheduled. The national camp must restart,” said the national championship silver medalist.
The Indian wrestlers had won 14 medals at the Asian Championship with the women winning seven of them. While Bajrang Punia, Ravi Dahiya (injury), and Vinesh Phogat chose not to compete in Astana, other prominent wrestlers like Deepak Punia and Sarita Mor, who are world championships medalists, could not win a medal.
In conclusion, with the Asian Games approaching, the SAI needs to reopen its centers for wrestlers to train properly. The lack of clarity surrounding the national camp and the ongoing controversy surrounding the WFI chief is causing uncertainty and adversely affecting the wrestlers’ preparations. The SAI needs to act quickly and provide the necessary support to ensure the wrestlers can train and compete at the highest level.