Paris Olympics 2024: Wrestlers scramble for passes to personal coaches upon arrival at Games Village

Vinesh Phogat (Pic: AFP)

Most of the Indian women wrestlers, who have checked in at the Paris Olympics 2024 Games Village, are spending significant amount of time in co-ordination of daily passes for their personal coaches and physios when their sole focus should have been on training.

Vinesh Phogat has her coach Woller Akos and physio Ashwini Patil, who is actually attached with the Indian contingent as official physio, at the Village for her preparation. They have full access accreditation while others are staying at outside and will require permission to enter the Village.

Antim Panghal (women's 53kg), Anshu Malik (women's 57kg) and Reetika Hooda (76kg) have all reached the Village and want their personal support staff to help them train.

The IOA had cleared their support staff's names for travel but all of them are staying outside the Games Village and would need a daily pass to enter the facility.

"The wrestling event is beginning on Monday and athletes should be concentrating on their training programme but their focus has shifted to ensure their coaches get the village access. They are all busy making calls and writing emails to relevant people for help," said a source in the know of the development.

Anshu and Reetika arrived at the Paris Olympics 2024 Games Village on Sunday.

"Anshu is trying for her father Dharamveer and Antim wants Bhagat Singh and Vikas by her side. They are spending energy on these things," the source added.

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Reetika's coach Mandeep has also reached Paris but she has not let her focus waver.

"Reetika and Aman are fully focussed on training. They also want their coaches around but they are not letting it disturb their training plans."

An IOA official said they don't understand why the national coaches are not being relied upon by the wrestlers.

"Senior national coaches Jagmander Singh and Virender Dahiya are also there. If everyone just needs personal staff what's the job of the national coaches? We don't get it. Isn't it undermining the national coaches?" asked the official.

Both Jagmender and Virender refused to comment on the matter, saying they will do what they are supposed to without worrying about the distractions relating to personal coaches.

Vinesh had clearly stated that she is not comfortable with the coaches, who were associated with former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

(With agency inputs)