WFI chief biased against Haryana wrestlers: Mahavir Phogat
Deepender Deswal
Balali (Charkhi Dadri), May 6
Sitting in his room at his ‘akhara’, 5 km from his village Balali, Dronacharya awardee Mahavir Phogat, the father of Phogat sisters Geeta, Babita, Neetu and Sangeeta and uncle of Vinesh Phogat, seemed unruffled by WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh’s allegation that one family (the Phogats) was trying to dislodge him to gain control of the WFI.
“This is a bid to divert the real issue. Brij Bhushan Singh is making all kinds of false allegations while trying to defend himself. Women wrestlers who have faced harassment must be given justice,” he told The Tribune. “First, he targets Haryana wrestlers. Then he sees politics behind the charges levelled by the wrestlers and then tries to drag the Phogat family into the row. All these are diversionary tactics,” the coach said, stressing his family had no interest in the wrestling federation.
Bhushan harmed wrestlers’ careers
Brij Bhushan Singh has harmed the career of promising women wrestlers owing to his bias. —Mahavir Phogat, Dronacharya awardee
“My daughters have shed their sweat and blood at the ‘akhara’. We rose from a humble background. We are happy to stay at the ‘akhara’ and help young wrestlers win medals for the country. We have never meddled in the affairs of the WFI”, Mahavir said, accusing Brish Bhushan Singh of bias against wrestlers from Haryana.
“Despite Geeta and Babita’s achievements at the Commonwealth Games in 2010 (Geeta won the gold medal in women’s 55kg category and Babita silver in the 51kg category), the WFI did not recommend my name for Dronacharya Award till 2016. It was only after the release of film ‘Dangal’ that I got recognition and was given the award by the Government of India,” he said. He alleged Brij Bhushan Singh had harmed the career of promising women wrestlers owing to his bias.
Mahavir, who spoke with the wrestlers on dharna today, appealed to the PM to free the WFI from the clutches of a man “running the body as his fiefdom”. He said the only purpose of the dharna was to “save” wrestling in India. “It is unfortunate that the wrestlers, who should have been preparing for Asiad, Olympics and other international events, are protesting on the roads. Many women wrestlers kept mum about incidents of harassment owing to fear and shame,” he added.
WFI-affiliated body suspends 3 members
Haryana Amateur Wrestling Assn, affiliated with the WFI, has suspended 3 members, one each in Jhajjar, Hisar & Mewat districts, for ‘backing’ the Jantar Mantar protest. It has ‘banned’ Ajay Singh Dhanda & Jai Bhagwan Lathar of Saheed Bhagat Singh academy in Mirchpur village, Hisar.
