The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) isn’t happy about Commonwealth Games gold medallist Vinesh Phogat training at Sports Authority of India (SAI) Lucknow without informing them beforehand, The Times of India reported on Tuesday,
According to the report, WFI intends to hold a national camp at SAI, Lucknow, for women for the upcoming Asian Games from May 10 to June 25. But Vinesh, 23, reached the SAI campus on May 1 without informing the federation or the SAI officials. She was accompanied by her personal physio, trainer and masseur.
Vinesh was said to be adamant on beginning practice and the federation and SAI officials had to accept her demand of training with her personal coaching staff.
“This is not done... why was she allowed to train privately at a place earmarked for the camp, that too, when other national campers were not there?” the report quoted an anonymous senior official of WFI.
Vinesh told The Times of India that she didn’t find it necessary to obtain the federation’s approval to train at SAI. If the federation has a problem, she said she was ready to pay for her stay.
“A lot of felicitation programmes were happening after my CWG triumph, so my practice was getting hampered. I thought it prudent to come to Lucknow and train. The Asiad trials will happen here at the end of this month, so I have to prepare,” Vinesh was quoted in the report.