Wrestling Federation of India suspends Vinesh Phogat, Sonam Malik | Tokyo Olympics News – Times of India
NEW DELHI: Wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Sonam Malik on Tuesday were “temporarily suspended” by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) on account of “misconduct” during their Tokyo Olympics campaign. Both the wrestlers have been issued notices by the WFI and have been asked to reply by August 16, TOI has learnt.
Vinesh has been suspended mainly due to three reasons. A source in the WFI told TOI that Vinesh, during her stay at the Games Village in Tokyo, refused to share room with the other women wrestlers from India.
“There were four women wrestlers from India – Vinesh, Sonam, Anshu (Malik) and Seema (Bisla). Vinesh flatly refused to share room with her fellow India wrestlers. She wanted a separate room for herself and tried to impose her seniority.”
The second misconduct that has been charged against Vinesh is that she didn’t train with her fellow India wrestlers. “Vinesh told India’s chief women’s coach, Kuldeep Malik, that she is going to train with her personal coach Woller Akos and not with him, while they were in Tokyo. One day, coincidentally, Vinesh’ training and the other Indian women wrestlers’ training was scheduled at the same time. The next she got her schedule changed. She was behaving as if she was not from India,” the source added.
The third charge on Vinesh is that she did not wear the singlet of the official sponsors of the Indian wrestling contingent, Shiv Naresh. “Instead she wore the singlet of her personal sponsor, Nike, during her bouts at the Olympics,” the source said.
“These were the misconducts of Vinesh. She may have thought that she will get a medal from the Olympics and become a star, then no one will question her. The IOA (India Olympic Association) also objected to this kind of behaviour to the wrestling federation.
“All this is gross indiscipline. She has been suspended temporarily and barred from all wrestling activities. She can’t compete in any national or other domestic event until she files a reply and WFI takes a final decision.”
The final decision will be taken at WFI’s disciplinary committee meeting.
As far as Sonam is concerned, the 19-year-old’s temporary suspension was for failing to collect her passport from the WFI office and asking a SAI official to do so on her behalf.
“The federation got all the visa work for Japan done and asked Sonam to collect her passport from the WFI office. One person from WFI went to the office on a Sunday and stayed there the whole day, expecting Sonam or someone from her family to come and collect the passport. But no one from her side came. They instead sent a SAI official to collect the passport. These kids think that they are going to the Olympics so they’ve become some kind of stars and the federation or SAI people are their servants. It is the wrestler’s responsibility and this kind of attitude won’t be accepted,” the source said.
Sonam’s father, Rajender Malik in her daughter’s defence said, “We couldn’t go to collect the passport to Delhi as Haryana was under strict lockdown. Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji had told in a video interaction before the Olympics that any athlete who is facing any kind of trouble should contact the Sports Authority of India. I had the contact number of a TOPS (Target Olympic Podium Scheme) official with me. When the date of Sonam’s departure for Olympics was nearing and we didn’t have the passport in our hands, I, in desperation called that official and asked for his help. He assured me that Sonam will be handed over her passport at the airport. Thankfully, he got the passport collected from the WFI office and Sonam received it at the airport on the day of her departure. Before that, she was highly tensed and was totally on the edge, with thoughts crossing her mind that she won’t be able to take part in the Olympics.”
Vinesh crashed out of the Tokyo Games in the quarterfinals after losing to Vanesa Kaladzinskaya of Belarus, while Sonam lost her first round bout to Mongolia’s Bolortuya Khurelkhuu.
Vinesh has been suspended mainly due to three reasons. A source in the WFI told TOI that Vinesh, during her stay at the Games Village in Tokyo, refused to share room with the other women wrestlers from India.
“There were four women wrestlers from India – Vinesh, Sonam, Anshu (Malik) and Seema (Bisla). Vinesh flatly refused to share room with her fellow India wrestlers. She wanted a separate room for herself and tried to impose her seniority.”
The second misconduct that has been charged against Vinesh is that she didn’t train with her fellow India wrestlers. “Vinesh told India’s chief women’s coach, Kuldeep Malik, that she is going to train with her personal coach Woller Akos and not with him, while they were in Tokyo. One day, coincidentally, Vinesh’ training and the other Indian women wrestlers’ training was scheduled at the same time. The next she got her schedule changed. She was behaving as if she was not from India,” the source added.
The third charge on Vinesh is that she did not wear the singlet of the official sponsors of the Indian wrestling contingent, Shiv Naresh. “Instead she wore the singlet of her personal sponsor, Nike, during her bouts at the Olympics,” the source said.
“These were the misconducts of Vinesh. She may have thought that she will get a medal from the Olympics and become a star, then no one will question her. The IOA (India Olympic Association) also objected to this kind of behaviour to the wrestling federation.
“All this is gross indiscipline. She has been suspended temporarily and barred from all wrestling activities. She can’t compete in any national or other domestic event until she files a reply and WFI takes a final decision.”
The final decision will be taken at WFI’s disciplinary committee meeting.
As far as Sonam is concerned, the 19-year-old’s temporary suspension was for failing to collect her passport from the WFI office and asking a SAI official to do so on her behalf.
“The federation got all the visa work for Japan done and asked Sonam to collect her passport from the WFI office. One person from WFI went to the office on a Sunday and stayed there the whole day, expecting Sonam or someone from her family to come and collect the passport. But no one from her side came. They instead sent a SAI official to collect the passport. These kids think that they are going to the Olympics so they’ve become some kind of stars and the federation or SAI people are their servants. It is the wrestler’s responsibility and this kind of attitude won’t be accepted,” the source said.
Sonam’s father, Rajender Malik in her daughter’s defence said, “We couldn’t go to collect the passport to Delhi as Haryana was under strict lockdown. Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji had told in a video interaction before the Olympics that any athlete who is facing any kind of trouble should contact the Sports Authority of India. I had the contact number of a TOPS (Target Olympic Podium Scheme) official with me. When the date of Sonam’s departure for Olympics was nearing and we didn’t have the passport in our hands, I, in desperation called that official and asked for his help. He assured me that Sonam will be handed over her passport at the airport. Thankfully, he got the passport collected from the WFI office and Sonam received it at the airport on the day of her departure. Before that, she was highly tensed and was totally on the edge, with thoughts crossing her mind that she won’t be able to take part in the Olympics.”
Vinesh crashed out of the Tokyo Games in the quarterfinals after losing to Vanesa Kaladzinskaya of Belarus, while Sonam lost her first round bout to Mongolia’s Bolortuya Khurelkhuu.
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