As many as 18 wrestlers including a few national players who had gone to Srinagar in Jammu & Kashmir to participate in a national tournament landed up high and dry as their team managers and coaches, who, according to them, are members of Chhattisgarh Wrestling Association allegedly did not provide food and even thrashed a few girl members of the team.
They also expelled two coaches and a manager from the hotel and eventually the team returned without participating in the tournament. The wrestlers while running short of money had to travel without ticket from Delhi to Raipur and even remained hungry for two days, the wrestlers alleged while talking to reporters here at the District Collectorate premises here. The players reached Raipur and the information reached the higher authorities.
Culture Minister Ajay Chandrakar made immediate arrangements for food and stay for these players in the circuit house, they stated.Assistant Director (Sports) Rajendra Dekaty said that a complaint had been received and the matter will be investigated. “We will have to find out if the institution which took the players to Srinagar is recognized by the State government or not and whether the said tournament in Srinagar was a recognized one or not and other facts of the incident,” he said .
“Stringent action will be taken against those if found guilty in the incident,” added Dekatey. The players said that the trial for 33rd Boys and 17th Girls Sub-junior Free Style Wrestling was conducted by Chhattisgarh Wrestling Association at BSP Sector 3, Bhilai on June 15. As many as 10 girls and 8 boys were selected under different weight groups to participate in the national tournament held in Srinagar from June 29 to July 2. They said that Sharvan Yadav, Gama Yadav , Awadhesh Yadav and B Yadav accompanied them as coaches and managers along with Ganga Prasad Sinha, Ganesh Vishwakarma and Babulal Sahu.
They said that they reached Srinagar on June 28 and stayed in a hotel. However, in the night, Ganga Prasad Sinha, Ganesh Vishwakarma and Babulal Sahu were expelled from the hotel by Sharvan Yadav, Gama Yadav , Awadhesh Yadav and B Yadav stating that they were not the coaches and managers of the team. The players raised objection to this as they had never practiced under their guidance, the wrestlers said.