“Favourness” by referee costs Swati Shinde 'potential' place in India team for Wrestling World Championships

Swati Shinde cried non-stop after she was knocked out in the 50 kg weight category selection trial for the Wrestling World Championships on Tuesday. Her coach Dada Lavate said there was an alleged “favourness” during the match against Simran which cost her a 'potential' place in the team.

“We were winning but the referee made a bad decision. That was favoring which is normal against the wrestlers who are not from Haryana. It was just sad to see her cry so much despite wrestling so good,” Dada Lavate told Sportskeeada .

Swati was one of the favorites to win the trials alongside Simran and they were pitted against each other in the first round.

The Kohlapur-born wrestler dominated the bout. She got a lace lock against Simran, the junior world bronze medalist, and accumulated eight points at a go. But the referee counted the score wrong and stopped the match. Simran took advantage of the break and made a strong comeback to win on criteria.

“The referee stopped it randomly. If he hadn’t stopped it, she could have done one more leg lace and won the bout. But the referee decided to support her. I don’t say Simran was not a good wrestler but it was Swati who deserved it today,” Dada Lavate said.

He added:

“This has been very common at the nationals against wrestlers who are not from Haryana. So, I always tell Nandini and Swati they should not leave anything on the referee, instead, focus on the game and win dominantly.”

Wrestling Federation of India takes action

The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh expressed his unhappiness on the matter. He has given a warning to the referee and told him he will be given suspension if it is repeated.

“It was very saddening. Swati was very good and had a big lead but the referee made a mistake which clearly was a favor. So, we have given him a warning now,” WFI president said.

Simran lost against Hanny, who also won the gold medal at the inaugural Beach Wrestling Nationals on Monday (August 30).