Vinesh Phogat flays WFI for not allowing Nirmala Boora to take part in national trials

New Delhi, Dec 6 (IANS) Olympian wrestler and Haryana MLA Vinesh Phogat has taken the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) to task for treating seasoned grappler Nirmala Boora "extremely unfairly" during the recent national trials. She claimed that Nirmala was not allowed to participate in the trials, and no reason was given for denying her the opportunity. 

Vinesh, who has been at loggerheads with the national federation ever since leading a protest against former WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh for allegedly sexually harassing young wrestlers. Though Brij Bhushan has been given a clean chit by a court, Vinesh and other protesters claim that no proper inquiry was conducted by the BJP government, as he belongs to their party.

On Saturday, Vinesh, who represents Julana constituency in the Haryana Assembly, took to social media to put out a statement in support of Nirmala Boora.

"Nirmala Boora is a highly respected and accomplished athlete from Haryana. She is a Bhim Awardee, Commonwealth Games silver medallist, Asian Championship silver medallist, and a 20-time medallist in Senior Nationals, including 14-15 gold medals at the Senior National level. Currently, she is serving as an Inspector in the Haryana Police. She is one of the most senior wrestlers active in India today, and her continued participation at this age is an inspiration to us all," said Vinesh in her statement.

She said denying Nirmala a chance to participate in the national trials was unfair.

"However, recently, she was treated extremely unfairly during the National trials held in Haryana… Nirmala Boora was not allowed to participate in the trials; no reason was given, and no official information was provided. The federation is being run by goons and thugs who are arbitrarily deciding which players to include or exclude without any transparency.

"Unfortunately, the Haryana and Central Sports Ministries are not taking any concrete action on this serious issue, even though players work hard throughout the year and hope for a fair opportunity," said Vinesh, who had reached the final of the 53kg weight category in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games before being disqualified being above the stipulated weight during the weigh-in on the morning of the final.

The 31-year-old Vinesh, a two-time World Championships bronze medallist, former Asian champion, Asian Games gold medallist, and a three-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist, said the treatment meted out to Nirmala Boora raises questions over the future of young wrestlers.

"If an experienced player like Nirmala Boora, who has won countless medals for the country, is not being heard, how will the future of the next generation of players be secure? This situation is not just about one player, but it raises questions about the entire Indian sports system, and reform is now essential. Restoring transparency, accountability, and fairness in sports is the need of the hour so that every player receives recognition based on their merit and performance," said Vinesh.

She reiterated her support for Nirmala and urged the government to take immediate cognisance of the matter.

"I stand with Nirmala Didi in support of her honour and the rights of every athlete. I urge the government, the Ministry of Sports, and all responsible authorities to take immediate cognisance of this matter and take concrete action to ensure justice for her," said Vinesh, who retired from the sport soon after the Paris Olympics in 2024.

--IANS

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