- Singh has been punished for speaking out against the alleged “irregularities” committed by the All India Sports Council of the Deaf (AISCD)
- The celebrated grappler has been dropped from the World Deaf Senior Greco-Roman & Freestyle wrestling championship
- In solidarity, other participating wrestlers have revolted against the federation and has threatened to boycott the Worlds
The celebrated grappler has been dropped from the World Deaf Senior Greco-Roman & Freestyle wrestling championship to be held in Vladimir, Russia from June 11-19, leaving his supporters and the wrestling community stunned.
In solidarity, other participating wrestlers have revolted against the federation and has threatened to boycott the Worlds. Nine of the participating wrestlers have written to the SAI that none of them will go to the Worlds if Virender’s suspension wasn’t revoked and his name included in the team.
Virender may not be a household name, but the Arjuna awardee is revered in the same breath as two-time Olympics medallist Sushil Kumar. Virender has seven international medals – including three gold from the Deaflympics (Olympic Games for deaf athletes) and one gold from the Deaf Worlds.
In the latest case, Virender hasn’t been selected for the Worlds after he alleged that the federation has not paid him and other participating athletes their ‘pocket allowance’ due for the 2017 Samsun Deaflympics.
As a result of his tirade, he was show-caused and later suspended by the federation in March this year. Recently, the sports ministry wrote to the AISCD to revoke Virender’s suspension immediately, but the federation’s interpreter and project officer, Ketan Shah, is insisting that Virender should first ‘apologise’ to the AISCD for making false allegations.
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