Sakshi Malik issued show cause notice by WFI for indiscipline

Team Udayavani, Aug 19, 2019, 5:50 PM IST

New Delhi: Olympic medallist Sakshi Malik has been issued a show cause notice by the Wrestling Federation India (WFI) for leaving the national camp without permission as 25 campers have been expelled for the same offence.

In a shocking turn of events, 25 out of of the 45 women grapplers, who train at the SAI centre in Lucknow, reported absent from the national camp without taking permission from the National Federation.

Out of these 25, three grapplers including Sakshi (62kg), Seema Bisla (50kg) and Kiran (76kg) had recently qualified for the World Championship,

The trio has been issued show cause notices and their deadline from submitting reply is Wednesday.

All others have been expelled from the national camp till further orders from the WFI and were barred from competing in Monday’s World Championship trials in four non-Olympic categories.

According to WFI Assistant Secretary Vinod Tomar, once the Indian squads left for Belarus and Estonia for preparatory tournaments, the remaining wrestlers left the camp without seeking permission.

“We have asked Sakshi, Seema and Kiran to reply to the show cause notices. They can reply by Wednesday. Others, we have not even bothered to ask. They have simply been expelled for indiscipline. We will see later if we need to call them back for the camp,” Tomar told PTI.

“The camp is still on with remaining wrestlers, including the juniors. Now that they have been expelled, they are coming up with all kinds of excuses. Somebody is saying that my mother was ill and some one is saying that she had informed so and so. This is unacceptable,” added Tomar.

Asked if WFI will stop Sakshi, Seema and Kiran from participating in the Worlds, Tomar said,”I can’t comment on it as of today. The Federation will decide soon.”

Sources in the WFI said the three wrestlers will be let off with warning.

WFI President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh said they want only serious wrestlers at the camp.

Names of wrestlers expelled from National camp:

50kg: Indu Chaudhary, Preeti, Sheetal Tomar

53kg: Seema, Keemti, Raman Yadav

55kg: Pinky

57kg: Pinki Rani

59kg: Manju, Ankita, Rani Rana

62kg: Sakshi Malik, Rachna, Pooja

65kg: Anita, Gargi Yadav, Ritu Malik

68kg: Rajni, Naina, Kavita

76kg: Kiran, Jyoti, Sudesh, Pooja, Rani.