WFI Suspends Wrestler Vinesh Phogat Over Indiscipline After Tokyo Olympics Campaign

New Delhi: The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) temporarily suspended Vinesh Phogat on Tuesday following her return from Tokyo Olympics campaign. The WFI cited indiscipline from Vinesh at the Games as the star wrestler is believed to have refused to train with the rest of the athletes at the Olympics Village. She also did not wear the name of the official kit sponsors of Team India at the Olympics, India Today reported.

She has been given time till August 16 to reply to the notice that mentioned indiscipline on three counts. If the response is not satisfactory, the WFI is considering a long ban.

The WFI also issued notice to young wrestler, Sonam Malik for misconduct.

Vinesh, who had travelled to Tokyo from Hungary where she had trained with coach Woller Akos, had refused to stay on the same floor of the Games Village and train with the other Indian team members. Vinesh wanted a room on a different floor. She did not stay for a single day with the other wrestlers nor trained with them, India Today reported.

Vinesh Phogat trained with Woller Akos’s wife and the WFI president, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, was able to sense something was wrong when she refused to train with the other Indian wrestlers in Tokyo.

Vinesh also did not wear the name of the official sponsors of the Indian contingent, Shiv Naresh, and chose to wear a Nike singlet during her bouts.

“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 events until she files a reply and WFI takes a final decision,” a WFI source told the Press Trust of India.

“WFI was pulled up by IOA why can’t they control their athletes. IOA is issuing a notice to WFI in this regard,” a source was quoted as saying in the report.

The officials who were in Tokyo said that Vinesh had created ruckus when she was allotted a room near those of her Indian team-mates — Sonam, Anshu Malik and Seema Bisla — arguing that she might contract coronavirus since these wrestlers travelled to Tokyo from India, according to PTI.