NEW DELHI : Asian Games gold medalist wrestler Vinesh Phogat accused the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) of trying to stop her from competing in the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics.
Phogat took to X (formerly Twitter) on Friday to level changes against the former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and his aide India’s wrestling body chief Sanjay Singh, stating that they might mix something in her water and make her drink during the match.
19th अप्रैल को एशियन ओलम्पिक क्वालीफाई टूर्नामेंट शुरू होने जा रहा है। मेरे द्वारा लगातार एक महीने से भारत सरकार (SAI,TOPS) सभी से मेरे कोच और फिजियो की ACCREDITATION (मान्यता) के लिए रिक्वेस्ट की जा रही है। ACCREDITATION के बिना मेरे कोच और फिजियो का मेरे साथ कम्पटीशन ARENA में…
— Vinesh Phogat (@Phogat_Vinesh) April 12, 2024
She also claimed that her personal coach and physiotherapist had been denied accreditation for the Asian Olympic qualification event, which begins on April 19.
“The Asian Olympic qualifying tournament is going to start on 19th April. For the past one month, I have been requesting the Government of India (SAI, TOPS) for the accreditation of my coach and physio. Without accreditation, it is not possible for my coach and physio to accompany me to the competition arena. But despite repeated requests, I am not getting any concrete answer from anywhere. No one is ready to help. Will the future of players always be played with like this?” Phogat posted on X.
The ace wrestler also alleged that there could be a conspiracy to trap her in doping, adding that “no stone is being left unturned to mentally harass us.”
“Brij Bhushan and his dummy Sanjay Singh are trying in every way to stop me from playing in the Olympics. All the coaches who have been appointed with the team are the favourites of Brij Bhushan and his team, so it cannot be denied that they may mix something in my water and make me drink it during my match? If I say that there could be a conspiracy to trap me in doping, then it will not be wrong. No stone is being left unturned to mentally harass us,” the ace wrestler further wrote.
Phogat asked if she was being “punished” because they raised their voice against sexual harassment, however, the star wrestler hoped to get justice before they went to represent India.
“How far is it justified to torture us like this before such an important competition? Will we face politics even before we go to play for the country because we raised our voice against sexual harassment? Is this the punishment for raising voice against wrong in our country? I hope we will get justice before we go to play for the country. Jai Hind @ianuragthakur @IndiaSports @Media_SAI” she further wrote.
Indian World Championships medalist and Asian Games gold medalist wrestler Phogat, who recently secured a win in women’s 50 kg trials in Patiala, will be heading to Kyrgyzstan for the Asian Championships and Olympic Qualifiers.
The Asian Wrestling Championships will be held from April 11 to 16, while the Asian Olympic Qualifiers will be held from April 19 to 21. (ANI)