World C'ships team pull-out: Aggrieved wrestlers knock Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya's door

Barely 48 hours before y are supposed to be on a plane to Albania, 12 wrestlers, selected for World Championships, are sitting outside residence of Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, desperately seeking his intervention to resolve issue following withdrawal of Indian teams from prestigious tournament.

Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) was on Thursday forced to pull all three Indian teams out of championships after wrestler Satyawart Kadian, husband of Sakshi Malik, approached court against federation's decision to conduct trials for U23 and senior Worlds, saying sports body was committing a contempt of court which had reinstated mandate of IOA ad-hoc panel to man routine affairs.

WFI remains suspended by ministry and IOA has refused to re-introduce ad-hoc panel, leaving sport and future of wrestlers in limbo.

"It takes 10-12 years to reach this st where you get to qualify for World Championships and w this opportunity is being snatched away from us. What is our fault?," asked Mansha Bhanwala, who made cut in women's 65kg category.

"se protesting wrestlers are done with ir careers, why are y playing with ours? junior wrestlers do t need ir support. If we are t sent for World Championships, we will begin a protest of our own," she told PTI.

"We can't let this chance slip. This is time to man weight and train and we are sitting here. I lost my far at a young and my mor has sacrificed a lot to make a wrestler.

"This is unfair treatment. Federation wants to help us that's why y conducted trials also," added Manisha, winner of two bronze medals at Asian Championships.

Manisha was accompanied by fellow women wrestlers Mansi Ahlawat (59kg), who won a gold in Almaty and a bronze medal at UWW Ranking Series event last year in Tunis last year, Kirti (55kg), and Bipasha (72kg).

Four men's freestyle wrestlers Udit (61kg), Manish Goswami (70kg), Parvinder Singh (79kg), Sandeep Mann (92kg) and as many Greco-Roman exponents Sanjeev (55kg), Chetan (63kg), Ankit Gulia (72kg), and Rohit Dahiya (82kg) also sat on pavement outside minister's resident after travelling all way from Haryana .

"Everything is ready. Visas are re, tickets are re. We have a flight to catch on Sunday morning at 4am. It's time to save energy, train and be prepared but we are sitting here on road," said Udit.

wrestlers first moved court but y were told that ir petition can't be heard today and y can get a hearing date.

y n moved to Sports Minister's residence but could t meet him.

"y are asking if we have an appointment. We have t been able to meet him yet," said a wrestler.

WFI had cited government "interference" in its automy while conveying to world governing body UWW that it was withdrawing its entries.

senior World Championship in 12 n-Olympic categories is scheduled to be held in Tirana, Albania, from October 28.

WFI had recently anunced selection trials for U23 and World Championships, which was challenged as contempt of court by protesting wrestlers, including Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat , Sakshi Malik and her husband Satyawart, who had questioned legality of selection by WFI.