Indian wrestlers, suspended for doping, are finding ways to compete in the country and make monetary gains.
Notably, one of the wrestlers in question here, is a multiple Commonwealth Games medallist and bronze medal winner of the Asian Games.
The woman wrestler went on to clinch a gold medal and win a prize money of INR 1.1 lakh at the Mahapor Kesari, a private dangal organised by the Indore Municipal Corporation in Madhya Pradesh from January 30 to February 2, reports the New Indian Express.
Coach Arjuna awardee Kripashankar Patel had informed the organizers about the issue but to no avail.
“I apprised the organisers of the same well in advance but they didn’t pay heed. I am not against any wrestler but I strongly believe the sport should be dope free and allowing such athletes to compete is equivalent to promoting doping,” Patel told the Indian Express.
The organizing committee, however, said that the decision to include women competition was taken late.
“Our aim is to promote wrestling. Women competition was not there in the roster earlier but included in the eleventh hour to give opportunities to women wrestlers. This might have led to participation of suspended wrestlers. We are learning from our experiences and will make sure such issues do not recur in future,” Nandkishore Pahadiya, a member of the organising committee, said.
Meanwhile, the woman wrestler did not give any explanation. “I had already given my explanations in the past and don’t want to comment on it,” was her reply.
“We didn’t recognise such events. If our officials were there then they must have gone there in their personal capacities. The federation will issue directives to all officials to avoid such unrecognised events in the future,” the WFI president Sanjay Kumar Singh told the New Indian Express.