"Take our trials, we have not run away from the country" - Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia breaks silence on Wrestlers' row
Top Indian wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia finally broke their silence on the exemption given to them in the trials to pick the team for the Asian Games 2023.
The situation in the Indian wrestling fraternity looks chaotic after the IOA-appointed ad-hoc panel of WFI handed direct entries to Vinesh and Bajrang in the quadrennial event.
Dejected by the ad-hoc committee's move, young wrestlers Antim Panghal and Sujeet Kalkal took the matter to the Delhi High Court. Their demand was to scrap the exemption from trials enabled to the senior players, however, the court rejected the petition.
The ad-hoc panel conducted trials across 18 categories in the Hangzhou Asian Games but persisted with the decision of direct entries for Bajrang and Vinesh.
Responding to the heavy criticism over unfair treatment with the junior trials, Vinesh and Bajrang came live together to clarify their stand.
"We did not run away from trials, we just wanted enough time to train," Vinesh said. "Take our trials, we have not run away from the country. Someone wins and someone loses but we can’t be given even one-month time to train?"
The Asian Games gold medalist added:
"We are not against the trials. I can’t blame Antim. She is not wrong. She is fighting for her right and we are fighting for our right. She is too young, she does not understand. But we are not wrong."
"Vinesh Phogat has not lost yet" - Bajrang Punia
Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia are currently training in different countries abroad. Vinesh became the first Indian woman to win a gold medal at the Asian Games 2018 in Jakarta. She defeated Japanese grappler Yuki Ire 6-2 in the 50kg women's category final.
However, it was Bajrang Punia who gave India its first gold in wrestling at the prestigious continental event. He beat Japan's Daichi Takatani 11-8 in the final on the very first day of the 2018 Asian Games.
Bajrang said that Vinesh is not done yet and pointed out her achievements at the global level.
“It was said that there are 3-4 wrestlers who can beat Vinesh but dear Antim, Vinesh has not lost (as yet), and will not lose," Bajrang said.
The 2020 Olympic bronze medalist added:
“Antim, you said you became the first Indian to win the U-20 championship but Vinesh is also the only woman wrestler to have won two Worlds medal. You filed court case against us?,”
Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Ravi Dahiya crashed out of the trials after being stunned by Maharashtra's Atish Todkar in the 57kg. Meanwhile, Sakshi Malik and Sangeeta Phogat skipped the trials and hence won't be able to participate in the Asian Games.