India wrestlers risk Olympic dream for '#MeToo' protest

                                                                                     India wrestlers risk Olympic dream for '#MeToo' protest

For Vinesh Phogat, the year 2023 was crucial in every sense. 

With only three months left until the World Championships and the Asian Games, the Indian wrestler will now be at the peak of his training program. She calls it the "ultimate level," the kind of workout where your body automatically kicks in and completely understands what you're doing. As a two-time medalist at the World Championships, this was a chance for Fogat to achieve her third-place finish. But instead of preparing mentally and physically at a training camp, the wrestler was forced to walk on the dusty pavements of Delhi, India's capital, where temperatures topped 42 degrees Celsius with "little sleep" and "constant noise." I've lived here for a month. Phogat is among a group of India's top wrestlers protesting after accusing top officials of the federation of sexually harassing and abusing female wrestlers. Wrestlers, including Olympic medalists, are calling for the resignation and arrest of federation president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. When questioned by Delhi police, Singh denied the charges and said the protests were politically motivated. It's been a month since the protests began on Tuesday, but the country's chances of winning a wrestling medal at the next championship are in jeopardy, leaving athletes distressed and heartbroken. It could also dash India's dream of winning another wrestling medal at the Olympics next year. So far, the country has won seven Olympic medals in wrestling, including seven since 2008. 2020 Olympic bronze medalist wrestler Bajran Punia said: "The whole country expects us to win another medal and we really want it, but there is no solution. I sat there for 30 days," he said. The International Olympic Committee designates several events each year as qualifying events for the Olympic Games. Rudraneel Sengupta, author of Enter the Dangal: Travels through India's Wrestling Landscape, says September's World Championships is the right event for wrestling and a gateway to the Olympics. He added that the World Cup and international competitions are big events for all sports and for all players, so they are important in and of themselves, not just as qualifiers. Players say they are continuing to train at protests that began in December, but experts fear that won't be enough. “Wrestling is a very demanding sport. To be at your best you have to be in extreme conditions and that requires constant training,” says Sengupta. He added that players without the required stamina are more likely to lose in the first 30 seconds "regardless of skill." Punia said he has already missed some of the big tournaments this year, including the Asia Ranking Series. "People say we are protesting for personal gain. But not being able to play in a game is the worst thing a player can do.