Federation and TOPS wrestle over Vinesh’s trip to Bulgaria

NEW DELHI: A training camp for wrestler Vinesh Phogat in Bulgaria was approved by SAI under the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS). The Wrestling Federation of India though said it had rejected the wrestler’s proposal. A statement from SAI on Wednesday said Phogat will “train in Belmeken, Bulgaria, which is a high altitude training area situated around 2600m2600 aboveb sea level.”ll”

Phogaat has left for the 19-day camp (Nov 7-266) where sh will trai under Buulgar i aa n coach Serafim Barzaakov, a Sydneyy Olympics silverr medallist. The camp is expectedd to have other top wrestlers such as Bilyana Dudova (2021 world champion), Evelina Nikolova (2020 Olympic medallist), the statement said. Vinesh is accompanied by her physio Ashwini Patil.

WFI said when its opinion was sought on the proposal a month ago, it did not give a go-ahead. “We didn’t think it was going to help the wrestler and we informed the same to TOPS. There is no competition ahead and we thought a camp in Bulgaria makes no sense. TThhe next t ttourname ent is the national champion nships next month. We we re also not s u r e whether she will h ave quality spa arring partners thhere,” a WFI official sai id on condition of anony ymity. The propos sal was sent to the sub-com mmittee of the Mission Olympic O Cell (MOC) that has experts in disciplines for “detailed assessment”.

“The four-member sub-committee including Yogeshwar Dutt found that the training stint at the academy would give the wrestler exposure to international sparring partners and approved it. They were also satisfied with the quality of coaches and infrastructure available at the academy,” SAI said in a statement.

After the Tokyo Olympics, where she lost in the quarters, WFI had raised the issue of MOC approving foreign tours of athletes under TOPS without the federation’s consent. Since then, WFI has been insistent on wrestlers training in national camps and going for overseas tours only when the federation feels it was required.

TOPS also cleared Bajrang Punia’s proposal to take part in the Bill Farrell International Wrestling Championship in New York, on November 18-19. WFI said it gave its consent for that.