Hot topics at Wrestling Nationals: SAI’s cold response to national camps, withdrawal of awards, policy change

The
national
federation
says
it
had
requested
the
Sports
Authority
of
India
to
host
national
camps
for
men
and
women
before
the
senior
World
Championship
in
Oslo
and
also
before
the
Under-23
Worlds
in
Belgrade,
but
their
request
for
one-month
camps
was
not
considered.

“We
are
getting
an
impression
that
SAI
is
not
interested
now
in
hosting
national
camps
for
the
required
time
periods.
They
are
asking
why
camps
are
required
throughout
the
year.
If
that
becomes
the
case,
it
is
going
to
hurt
the
sport
badly,”
WFI
secretary
general
VN
Prasood
told
PTI.

“They
allowed
only
a
10-day
camp
before
the
Oslo
Championship
and
after
initially
showing
reluctance
for
a
camp
ahead
of
the
U23
event
in
Belgrade,
one
week
before
the
tournament
they
asked
about
it
again.
Now,
what
do
you
do
in
one
week,”
he
added.
WFI
sources
said
the
SAI
wants
to
focus
on
promoting
the
Khelo
India
camps
only
and
that’s
why
the
“snub”.

“Recently,
Rs
50
lakh
equipment
was
bought
for
the
wrestling
national
camps.
When
are
you
going
to
utilise
them
if
the
players
will
not
be
at
camps
but
train
at
their
own
akharas,”
said
one
official,
who
did
not
wish
to
be
named.

“Probably
SAI
wants
that
wrestlers
should
be
there
at
camps
organised
at
Khelo
India
Centres.
But
I
am
telling
you
no
one
is
going
to
go
there.
And
training
at
akharas,
individually,
is
also
not
a
good
option
for
the
long
term.
We
have
better
coaches
at
national
camps.”

Another
official
said
that
long-duration
camps
were
introduced
in
2010
to
prepare
for
the
Commonwealth
Games
and
when
results
started
to
follow,
it
became
a
norm.
“Everybody
can
see
the
results
since
2010.
Indian
wrestling
has
only
gone
up
in
the
last
decade.
National
camps
are
required
throughout
the
year
and
if
the
duration
is
reduced,
it
will
hurt
the
game.

“There
is
a
possibility
that
WFI
may
consider
hosting
the
national
camps
on
its
own
if
SAI
continues
with
the
trend.”
SAI
director
General
Sandeep
Pradhan
could
not
be
reached
for
comment
since
he
is
unwell.
SAI
had
also
recently
refused
to
bear
the
cost
of
six
out
of
30
wrestlers
participating
in
the
U-23
Worlds,
leaving
the
WFI
to
foot
the
expenses.

Dropping
Wrestlers
from
Awards
List

Senior
India
coaches
Sujeet
Maan
and
70-year-old
Jagroop
Rathi
were
recommended
by
the
Sports
Awards
Committee
for
the
Dronacharya
honour
but
the
sports
ministry
dropped
the
names
while
finalising
the
list.

“This
has
happened
for
the
first
time
that
names
have
been
dropped
after
recommendation
by
the
committee.
This
is
the
humiliation
of
the
highest
order.
It
has
never
happened.
It
seems
wrestling
is
being
singled
out
for
discrimination,”
said
Prasood.

Maan,
42,
has
been
at
the
national
camps
and
travelled
with
the
Indian
teams
for
the
last
decade
while
Rathi
too
is
a
respected
name
in
the
fraternity.
He
had
travelled
with
the
team
as
a
coach
during
the
1980
and
1984
Olympic
Games
and
had
trained
the
likes
of
Kripa
Shankar
and
Satyawan.

“We
were
not
even
informed
that
our
names
are
being
dropped.
People
began
congratulating
us
after
the
names
were
recommended.
Still
people
are
calling
us
but
what
do
we
say.
It
is
so
embarrassing,”
said
Maan,
who
was
with
the
U-23
team
to
Belgrade
for
the
Worlds.

It
has
been
learnt
that
Rathi
has
moved
the
Delhi
High
Court
against
the
decision.

Major
policy
change
for
Olympic
Selection

The
WFI
is
set
to
discuss
a
major
policy
change,
where
the
quota
winners
for
the
Olympics
will
be
asked
to
appear
in
trials
before
the
Games.
Till
recently
the
quota
winners’ places
were
not
touched,
but
it
is
expected
to
change
now.
The
WFI
feels
it
would
keep
“everyone
on
toes”.