File picture of Sakshi Malik (L) and Vinesh Phogat© AFP
Vinesh Phogat responded to allegations from Sakshi Malik that the protest in opposition to former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh developed cracks when “individuals near” Vinesh started to fill her thoughts with “greed”. Sakshi additionally alleged that Vinesh and Bajrang Punia’s choice to just accept exemption from Asian Video games trails additionally tarnished the picture of the protests. Nonetheless, Vinesh dismissed any such speculations and mentioned that they fought for a great trigger earlier than including that if talking up for athletes is “greed”, then she’s going to proceed to have such “greed”.
“Nobody gave me something in writing, nor can I assume somebody’s intentions. The great factor is that we fought for a great trigger. If enjoying within the Olympics and profitable a medal for our nation is greed, then sure, I’ll carry that ‘greed’ until my final breath. What precisely is greed? If, as an athlete, talking up for fellow athletes and standing by my sisters is greed, then I contemplate it a great type of greed. The need to play for the nation ought to all the time stay,” Phogat informed ANI.
Sakshi, who was one of many three distinguished faces of the extended protest, made this assertion in her recently-released ebook ‘Witness’.
“The outdated mind-set selfishly was taking on as soon as once more. The individuals near Bajrang and Vinesh had began filling their minds with greed. Now they have been speaking about this exemption from trials for the Video games,” Sakshi wrote within the ebook co-authored with journalist Jonathan Selvaraj however didn’t give names of those that influenced the duo.
“…Nothing good got here of Bajrang and Vinesh’s choice to take the exemption…their choice badly damage the picture of our protest. It put us in a state of affairs the place many supporters began to assume that we have been really within the protest for egocentric causes,” the 32-year-old mentioned.
(With PTI inputs)
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