Olympic medallists Sakshi Malik and Aman Sehrawat, along with former world championship bronze-winner Geeta Phogat, on Monday announced that they would soon launch a Wrestling Champions Super League (WCSL) for the country’s budding grapplers but the national federation has refused to sanction the initiative. Sakshi, along with Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat, had spearheaded the wrestlers’ protest against ousted Wrestling Federation of India President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who was accused of sexual harassment.

Sakshi has, however, distanced herself from the latter two after they took the political plunge by joining Congress ahead of next month’s Haryana assembly elections.

She won the 58kg bronze in 2016 Rio Olympics, and announced the project with Phogat, a 55kg bronze winner in 2012 World Championships through their social media handles. The two, while announcing that they had Paris Games bronze-winner Aman on board, did not provide any details.

Phogat told PTI that she is hopeful of support from the federation and the government.

“Sakshi and I have been planning this League for long. Soon it will take a final shape. We have not yet spoken to the WFI but it would be great if WFI and government support us. It will be the first league that will be operated only by the players,” Phogat said.

“We are doing it for the players, for their benefit. That is the idea and vision, so no one should have any problem with it. It’s a proud moment for us. We won’t stop anyone from getting involved in it, if WFI or government comes on board, even better. We have not yet spoken to them.

“There will be international wrestlers, and coaches involved, so it should help our junior wrestlers. They will get good exposure.” The WFI said it would not give its sanction to the league.

“We won’t approve it. We are reviving our pro wrestling league and hopefully we will have it soon. The wrestlers are free to do their own league, they can promote the game, but we won’t be linked with that,” WFI President Sanjay Singh said.

Asked if there will be prize money involved, and about the format and venue for the event, Phogat said, “You will have to wait a bit to know all this. We will share the details very soon.” Sakshi, who retired from wrestling after Sharan Singh’s close aide Sanjay Singh became WFI head, said she hopes to give back to the sport through this initiative.

“The only way to repay your trust is to dedicate our sporting talent, experience, grit & success to the service of the sport. The 2 of us have therefore come together to create the Wrestling Champions Super League (WCSL),” she posted on X.

“The WCSL, a world class international league, will skill & strengthen our wrestlers to dominate the sport globally by taking on the world’s best in a hyper competitive, expertly supervised environment with best-in-class support systems in place.” She also said that Sehrawat, who won bronze in 57kg in Paris Olympics, also “shares our vision and is joining us on this journey.” “This league is a very commendable initiative which will help Indian wrestling greatly and therefore I want to be a part of it and support it fully,” Aman was uoted as saying by Sakshi.

Daughter of noted wrestling coach Mahavir, Geeta is a cousin of Vinesh, who will be contesting from Julana constituency during the Haryana elections.

Sakshi said the aim of the league is to build a culture of sustained high performance in the sport in the country.

“While WCSL is focused on wrestling, it is inspired also by our overwhelming urge to build a culture of sustained high performance in Indian sport & motivate every Indian to experience the joy of playing.

“Although founded by the 2 of us, the WCSL is a national mission committed to respecting & working in close partnership with all stakeholders. Winning, afterall, is a team sport. Our hearts beat only for India, for Indian wrestling & for Indian sport. Come, let’s build the sporting India of our dreams mil ke, ek saath!”

File photo of Vinesh Phogat© AFP

Vinesh Phogat said that she is “grateful” for receiving such love and respect from fans.© PTI

Former India wrestler Vinesh Phogat arrived in New Delhi on Saturday, following her disqualification from the just-concluded Paris Olympics 2024. Vinesh landed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport on Saturday, August 17, with thousands gathered outside to welcome her. Vinesh’s family members, including her mother, had arrived at the airport hours before the wrestler’s arrival. In view of Vinesh Phogat coming to India on Saturday, security was tightened at the Indira Gandhi International Airport. Vinesh is also scheduled to leave for her village, Balali, later in the day.

Upon her arrival, thousands, including fellow wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik, gathered at the airport to welcome her. In a viral video, Vinesh broke down in tears seeing her family and close ones.

“I thank all the countrymen, I am very fortunate,” said Vinesh.

#WATCH | Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat breaks down as she arrives at Delhi’s IGI Airport from Paris after participating in the #Olympics2024Paris. pic.twitter.com/ec73PQn7jG

— ANI (@ANI) August 17, 2024

Vinesh had assured India of a medal after reaching the final of the Women’s 50kg event at the Paris Olympics 2024. However, in a heartbreaking twist of tale, Vinesh was disqualified for being 100 grams overweight during the second weigh-in on the day of her gold-medal match. She had also requested to be awarded a joint silver medal, but her plea was rejected by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

On the eve of her arrival in India, Vinesh had expressed her deep sorrow over missing out on the Olympic podium, linking her personal disappointment to the broader struggle for women’s rights in India, which she had championed in her protests against the former wrestling federation chief.

In a three-page letter posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on Friday night, Phogat hinted at a possible return to the sport in the future, leaving the door slightly ajar despite her earlier decision to retire.

The circumstances leading to Phogat’s disqualification have been detailed by her coach, Woller Akos, who described the intense efforts made to help her meet the weight requirement. Akos, who coached Phogat during the Paris Games, revealed in a now-deleted Facebook post that the night before the final weigh-in, the wrestler underwent a grueling and dangerous weight-cutting process.

“After the semi-final, 2.7 kg of excess weight was left; we exercised for one hour and twenty minutes, but 1.5 kg still remained. Later, after 50 minutes of sauna, not a drop of sweat appeared on her. There was no choice left, and from midnight to 5:30 in the morning, she worked on different cardio machines and wrestling moves, about three-quarters of an hour at one go, with two-three minutes of rest. Then she started again. She collapsed, but somehow we got her up, and she spent an hour in the sauna,” Akos wrote in a now deleted Facebook post, adding, “I don’t intentionally write dramatic details, but I only remember thinking that she might die.”

(With IANS Inputs)

Representational Image.© AFP