Vinesh Phogat's personal coach, physiotherapist get accreditation for Wrestling Asian Olympic Qualifiers after her social media plea

Asian Olympic Qualifiers are scheduled to start on 19th April.

In a welcome resolution to a contentious situation, Indian wrestling star Vinesh Phogat will have her full support team by her side when she competes at the Wrestling Asian Olympic Qualifiers tournament in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan this weekend.

Phogat, who will represent India in the women’s 50kg weight class, had alleged through a social media post that the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) was trying to “trap her in the doping net”.

The 28-year-old Phogat, one of India’s top medal hopes at the Paris Olympics 2024, also claimed the government was not assisting her efforts to get her support staff credentialed for the crucial Olympic qualifying event by denying accreditation to her coach Woller Akos, physiotherapist Ashwini Patil, and sparring partner Arvind.

However, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and WFI worked quickly to resolve the situation after Phogat’s public allegations. IOA president PT Usha and WFI president Sanjay Singh jointly sought accreditations from United World Wrestling, the global governing body, for Akos, Patil and Arvind.

“Vinesh Phogat’s request to secure accreditation for her coach Woller Akos, physiotherapist Ashwini Patil and sparring partner Arvind for the Asian Olympic Games qualifying tournament in Bishkek has been resolved,” SAI said on X, formerly Twitter. “She will be seen in action on Saturday.”

Woman wrestler @Phogat_Vinesh’s request to secure accreditation for her coach Woller Akos, physiotherapist Ashwini Patil and sparring partner Arvind for the Asian Olympic Games qualifying tournament in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, has been resolved through @Media_SAI and @WeAreTeamIndia.… pic.twitter.com/LpojIGBMdA

— SAI Media (@Media_SAI) April 18, 2024

Phogat has established herself as one of the world’s premier female wrestlers, winning gold at the 2018 Asian Games and Commonwealth Games as well as bronze at the 2019 World Championships.

Redemption and an Olympic berth will be Phogat’s top objectives in Bishkek this weekend as she aims to book her spot at the 2024 Paris Games. Having her full support staff approved and on hand should provide an optimal competitive environment as she pursues that goal.

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