CHENNAI: A Greco-Roman wrestler from Rajasthan was asked to pull out of the ongoing Senior National Championship in Bengaluru on Saturday after the Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB) allegedly failed to issue no-objection certificates (NOCs) to its wrestlers to compete in the event.

Dheeraj Chaudhary, employed by Indian Railways, had already won a bout in the 130kg weight category but later expressed his inability to continue competing. He cited receiving a call from his senior officials instructing him to withdraw.

“He got selected in his weight category after winning the state championship. Dheeraj won a bout as well on Saturday and then refused to compete, saying his employer asked him not to compete,” said Ummed Singh, president of the Rajasthan Wrestling Association.

Singh added that he had contacted the sports officer, an Olympian, to address the issue. “I called the sports officer concerned, who is also an Olympian, and asked him the reason for Dheeraj getting pulled out. The sports officer said that the Railway wrestlers have not been given NOCs to compete in the ongoing event. If that was the case, the wrestler should have been instructed beforehand. We could have sent the silver medallist of the state championship for the nationals. Now the state unit cannot do anything,” Singh concluded.

It should be noted that the RSPB had decided not to send entries to the nationals organised by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) because the National Sports Federation (NSF) has been suspended by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. Despite this decision, over 10 wrestlers from the Railways chose to compete representing their respective states.