WFI chief Sanjay Singh, Brij Bhushan's aide, points finger at wrestlers' protest amid Vinesh Phogat controversy: 'Reason why India lost many medals'

File photo of Vinesh Phogat from the wrestler protest in New Delhi

The wait for a verdict on Vinesh Phogat's appeal was once again delayed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Tuesday. The Ad Hoc division of CAS in Paris was expected to deliver a decision on Phogat's request for a joint silver, instead the court asked for another three days to reach to a conclusion. Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Sanjay Singh, also an aide to former president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, reacting to the delay said that the wrestling body is hopeful for a positive outcome. However, he was quick to add that India could have clinched six medals in wrestling alone but it was due to the protests by grapplers we couldn't do well at the Paris Games.

“We are hopeful that the CAS verdict will be in our favour... WFI wants the verdict to be in India's favour because it is the country's medal, not someone's personal medal. It will be added to India's medal tally... The category of the sport is the player's personal decision. However, maintaining that weight also rests on the player. Gaining and reducing weight quickly takes a toll on the body of the player... She was given every facility she asked for, including training with a foreign coach in Hungary,” Singh told ANI.

"India won six medals in Paris, those six could have been in wrestling alone if it was not for the protests in the last 15-16 months. This is the reason India failed to secure more medals in wrestling," he added.

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Phogat has appealed for a joint silver to CAS after being disqualified at the Paris Olympics on the morning of her gold medal bout. She failed to meet the weight cut by 100gms in the second weigh-in, leading to her disqualification. However, Phogat had met the eligibility criteria the day before, following which she went to win three bouts and stormed into the final of women's 50kg freestyle wrestling. The disqualification also prompted Phogat to retire from the sport.

Phogat was one the leading figures of the wrestlers' protest staged in New Delhi against sexual harassment and intimidation by former chief Brij Bhushan and demanded for his resignation from the position. Phogat was joined by Olympic medallists Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia.