Protesting wrestlers deny security, set to miss Bishkek ranking series

While Bajrang was offered two Personal Security Officers (PSOs), Vinesh was assigned one PSO.

Days after demanding security for themselves alongside the seven complainants, the protesting wrestlers sent back Delhi Police's Personal Security Officers (PSOs) when the latter showed up at Jantar Mantar on Sunday evening.

While Bajrang was offered two Personal Security Officers (PSOs), Vinesh was assigned one PSO. (PTI)

Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Bajrang Punia was offered two Personal Security Officers (PSOs) while two-time World Championships bronze medallist Vinesh Phogat was assigned one personnel.

"The PSOs arrived on Sunday but we denied security because we don't feel threatened at Jantar Mantar," Somveer Rathee, one of the protesting wrestlers and Phogat's husband, said.

Punia repeated the stance. "If we are not safe at Jantar Mantar, where else can we be safe?" he said on Monday.

In their press conference on April 28 though, the wrestlers had demanded security for the seven complainants and themselves citing outgoing Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh's criminal history.

"Brij Bhushan has a long criminal past. We want security for the complainants and us," Punia had said.

Last week, the 29-year-old had claimed to have met some unknown men at the protest site who allegedly tried to intimidate him and talk him into calling off the stir.

The Delhi Police provided security to all complainants on Sunday.

Missing another ranking series

Meanwhile, after missing Zagreb and Alexandria Ranking Series in February and the senior Asian Championships in Astana last month, Punia, Phogat, and Rio Olympics bronze medallist Sakshi Malik will miss the Kaba Uulu Kozhomkul & Raatbek Sanatbaev Ranking Series in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan next month.

The Bishkek Ranking Series, set to be held between June 1-4, is the third of the four ranking series of the year. The final ranking series will be held in Budapest in July. Monday, May 1, was the last day for the WFI to send the team list to the organisers.

The federation is currently being run by the ad-hoc committee formed by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on April 27. The three-member panel consists of Wushu Association of India president Bhupender Singh Bajwa and national rifle coach Suma Shirur. The third member of the committee -- a retired high court judge -- is yet to be appointed.

"The protesting wrestlers were approached by the IOA to check their availability while the other wrestlers were contacted by the federation. The team will be a carbon copy of the one that went to the Asian Championships," a WFI official said.

Punia later confirmed that the protesting wrestlers will miss the competition. "We will miss the Bishkek Ranking Series. We are in no state, shape or form to compete. We are out of practice and in no mind space to compete right now," he said as the wrestlers' sit-in entered the ninth day.

Punia had, on Sunday, claimed that getting "justice" for the aggrieved wrestlers will mean more to him than winning an Asian Games medal.

In his absence, the freestyle 65kg division will be represented by Anuj Kumar who bowed out at the quarter-final stage in Astana. Sakshi Malik's 62kg slot will be occupied by Sonam Malik, who took bronze at the Asian Championships.

Astana silver medallist (53kg) Antim Panghal --- considered a worthy challenger to Vinesh Phogat -- will be another notable absentee from the Bishkek event. She will be replaced by Pooja Jatt from Madhya Pradesh.

Tokyo Games silver medallist Ravi Dahiya, who last took the mat at the World Championships in September where he made a first-round exit, is expected to compete in the Kyrgyzstan capital.

Dahiya injured his right knee during a practice session in February and sustained grade 2 tears in Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) and Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL).

Since ranking series allow a national federation to send upto three wrestlers in one weight class, Dahiya and Asian Championships gold medallist Aman Sehrawat have been pencilled in by WFI in the 57kg class.

"Ravi will go to the Bishkek ranking series. He has begun technical training on the mat and will resume grappling by next week," his coach at Chhatrasal Stadium, Lalit Kumar, said.

"We are also planning to send Ravi and Deepak Punia to Russia for an exposure competition this month," the coach added.

While Punia and Phogat last competed at the World Championships last September where they won a bronze, Sakshi Malik's most recent competitive appearance was at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in August where she won a gold.