CHENNAI: Standoff between the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB) continues to haunt wrestlers even as they prepare to compete at the National Games.

Only a few Railway wrestlers made it to their respective state teams for the Uttarakhand Games as the RSPB did not allow its grapplers to compete at the Bengaluru national championships organised by the WFI in December last year. Apparently, the states picked up their respective squads for the National Games based on their performances at Bengaluru nationals.

Those who won medals at the nationals were included in the squads for the Games. A few among them claimed that they have been rendered without pay since their participation in the WFI tournament. “We had to leave the ongoing Railway camp to compete in the Bengaluru event. Once we returned, we were punished on disciplinarian ground for leaving the camp. I have been without pay since then and it will continue till March,” lamented a wrestler on condition of anonymity.

Forced to fend for himself, the wrestler said a medal in the National Games is a dream for him and he will compete no matter if he is paid or not by his employer, in this case its Indian Railways.