Wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Yogeshwar Dutt have engaged in an exchange of words over Indian Olympic Association's (IOA) ad-hoc committee’s decision to introduce one-bout trials for the protesting wrestlers.
Reacting to the announcement, Dutt expressed his dissatisfaction with the committee’s decision, and now, Vinesh Phogat has launched a counter-reply, accusing the latter of “eating leftovers from WFI chief’s plate.”
On 23 June, Olympic medallist Dutt criticised the decision of conducting 'special case' single-bout trails for the wrestlers protesting against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, ahead of the upcoming Asian Games and World Championships.
"I don't know what is the criteria adopted by the committee to reduce the selection trials to a one-bout competition for six protesting wrestlers," Dutt said in his video.
To further strengthen his case, Dutt added “If the committee wants such a trial, then there are many wrestlers, like Olympic medalist Ravi Dahiya, World Championships silver medalist Anshu Malik, who performed well on the international stage. It is beyond my understanding to exempt six wrestlers from the trials."
"This is all wrong. To date, the earlier federation did not take the decision that you (the Ad-hoc committee) have taken, without looking at any rules and without making any criteria," he concluded, clearly opposing the new announcement by calling it a 'Black Day for Indian wrestling.'
Vinesh Phogat Accuses Yogeshwar Dutt of Siding With Brij Bhushan
In response to Dutt's video, Vinesh tweeted, “Upon hearing Yogeshwar Dutt’s video, his ugly laugh got stuck in my mind. He was a part of both the committees made for women wrestlers. When female wrestlers were narrating their stories to the committee, he used to laugh in an ugly way. When two female wrestlers went out to drink water, he told them that nothing will happen to Brij Bhushan. You go and practice.”
She also accused Dutt of revealing the names of female wrestlers to media and Brij Bhushan Singh.
After the committee met, Yogeshwar leaked names of female wrestlers to Brij Bhushan and media. He also called the families of multiple female wrestlers and told them to 'control' their girls. Despite commenting against the female wrestlers previously as well, he was made a member of both the committees.Vinesh Phogat
Claiming that Dutt is siding with the WFI chief, she further wrote, “He was stopping the wrestlers and coaches from being a part of the wrestlers protest. The entire wrestling world has understood that Yogeshwar is eating leftovers from Brij Bhushan’s plate.”
The wrestlers have been protesting against Singh, the sidelined chief of Wrestling Federation of India WFI), against whom sexual harassment charges have been levied and a chargesheet has been filed.
The ad-hoc committee of IOA reduced the selection trials for Asian Games and World Championships to a one-bout format for six protesting wrestlers. The wrestlers have also got exemption from the initial trials and will have to compete against the winners of the trials from 5 to 15 August.
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