NEW DELHI: Vinesh Phogat's return to competitive wrestling at the Polyák Imre & Varga János Memorial in Budapest on Saturday will be closely monitored. The event marks her comeback after a 10-month hiatus, during which she spearheaded a protest against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
Vinesh, along with five other women wrestlers, has accused Brij Bhushan of sexual abuse. The Delhi police has filed a chargesheet against Singh, who is also a BJP MP.
Vinesh's last competition was in September 2022 when she won a bronze medal at the World Championships in Budapest. However, for this event, she has chosen to participate in the 55kg category instead of her usual 53kg division.
The 55kg category features 11 wrestlers, including accomplished athletes like Qianyu Pang of China, Katarzyna Krawczyk of Poland, and Bolortuya Bat Ochir of Mongolia.
Vinesh will begin her campaign with a qualification round against Areana Louise Villaescusa from the USA. If successful, she will face Li Deng from China in the quarter-finals.
Sangeeta Phogat will be India's sole contender in the 59kg category, starting her campaign against Jennifer Page Rogers of the USA.
While Sarita Mor, Sujeet, and Sunil Kumar were initially scheduled to compete in their respective categories, they later withdrew from the tournament.
The six protesting wrestlers had requested an extension until August 10 to prepare for the Asian Games trials, citing their physical condition after the protest.
The ad-hoc panel of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) will conduct the trials on June 22-23, but it remains uncertain if the six wrestlers involved in the protest will participate or not.
(With PTI inputs)
