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India's protesting wrestlers denied receiving preferential treatment from the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) ad-hoc panel for their exemption from the Asian Games trials and said they would quit wrestling if it was proved.
On Friday, London Olympic bronze medallist Yogeshwar Dutt questioned the panel's decision and asked if the wrestlers were agitating against the outgoing WFI chief to get such favours. He had also urged the junior wrestlers, their coaches and their parents to raise their voices against such injustice.
Dutt had also levelled other allegations which the trio of Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat have addressed on social media, responding to the comments made by the now-BJP leader.
"We did not ask for exemption from trials, just asked for time to prepare," said Sakshi Malik. "We didn't take away anybody's rights. We had just asked for time as we have been away from wrestling for six months, but you are spreading wrong information," Malik, the 2016 Rio Olympics bronze medallist, said.
Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Bajrang said they will quit wrestling if it is proved that they had asked for just one-bout trial for the Asian Games and World Championships. "If you had problems about the one-trial bout, you should have approached the sports minister and asked on what basis they are taking the trials. But you chose to spread poison through social media," he said.
"We are ready to quit wrestling if it is proved that we asked for exemption. We never wrote any letter for exemption. If our elders feel that we have done anything wrong. We will quit."
However, none of the three wrestlers said if they are willing to compete in the full draw and will not accept direct entry into the final. It has been learnt that it was Gian Singh and Ashok Garg, the two coaches who were added to the ad-hoc panel, who had sought exemption from trials for six wrestlers.
Both Gian Singh and Ashok Garg were with the wrestlers at Jantar Mantar during their protest. Sakshi asked Dutt to refrain from spreading wrong message that the six wrestlers 'just wanted to win and participate in one trial'.
"In our life, we have never gone without any trials and never ever deprived any junior," she said.
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