Celebrated Phogat Sisters have been axed from the Asiad national camp for “serious indiscipline” and will have to explain their absence for any chance of a comeback. Geeta and Babita Phogat, along with their younger siblings Ritu and Sangeeta were ousted from the ongoing national camp in Lucknow’s SAI centre.
“The wrestlers selected for the national camp are expected to physically report to the camp within 3 days. If they have any problems or issues thy should go there and report it to the coaches and find a solution,” WFI President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh told PTI as reported by Times of India.
“But Geeta, Babita and others (in all 13) did not do that. They were incommunicado. This is serious indiscipline on their part and the WFI felt it’s time to pull the plug. So we have told them to sit at home and enjoy,” he said.
The federations’s strick action against the decorated wrestlers may close doors for Asian Games trials scheduled to be held later this month.
Bhushan hinted that the wrestlers could be given a second chance if they can come up with a satisfactory explanation.
“Let them first come to us and explain the reasons behind their actions. For now they are out of the national camp,” he said.
Satyawart Kadian the husband of Rio Olympic bronze medallist Sakshi Malik was also dropped from the national camp.
The men’s and women’s national are being simultaneously conducted in Sonepat and Lucknow respectively, from May 10 to 25.
The list of dropped players from national camp
Ritu Phogat (50kg), Indu Choudhary (50kg), Sangeeta Phogat (57kg), Geeta Phogat (59kg), Ravita (59kg), Pooja Tomar (62kg), Manu (62kg), Nandini Salokhe (62kg), Reshma Mane (62kg), Anju (65kg), Manu Tomar (72kg), Kamini (72kg), Babita Phogat (53kg), Shravan (61kg) and Satyawart Kadian (97kg).
