Indian contingent faces more trouble after wrestler Antim Panghal sent back home from Paris

Dubai: Indian wrestler Antim Pangal is likely to face a three-year ban due to a disciplinary breach at the Paris Olympics.

“The decision will be formally announced after she reaches India,” a source told an Indian media.

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) decided to send the 19-year-old and her support staff back home after she gave her Olympic Village accreditation to her sister, who was later detained by the French police.

There was more controversy adding up when Panghal’s support staff allegedly had an altercation with a cab driver in Paris. Reports indicated that Bhagat Singh and Vikas took a cab back to the hotel in a drunken state and later refused to pay the driver, who called the police.

Disciplinary rules

In a statement, the IOA announced that Antim and her support staff had breached disciplinary rules, as reported by the French authorities.

“The Indian Olympic Association has decided to fly wrestler Antim and her support staff back after a disciplinary breach was brought to IOA’s notice by the French authorities,” the IOA stated.

The French authorities complained to the IOA about the incident after which the IOA decided to sent them back to India.

“Antim Panghal gave her accreditation to her sister to help her enter the Games Village on her accreditation. French authorities complained to the IOA, and that’s why she will be sent back to India with her support staff,” the statement added.

Earlier, Panghal lost to Zeynep Yetgil of Turkey in the women’s 53kg freestyle round of 16 bout.

But Panghal denied the allegations and said her sister was taken to the police station for some verification.

'I was sick'

Speaking to an Indian agency from Paris, she said it was she who went to her sister’s hotel since she was sick. She then wanted her sister Nisha to get her stuff from the village and gave her accreditation.

“It wasn’t my day yesterday, as I lost my bout. But, since I’ve lost, talks are going on that my sister has been arrested by the police, or I’ve been arrested by the police, nothing of that sort has happened,” Antim said.

“When I lost my bout yesterday, I got a fever. My sister, who has been living in a hotel, wanted to take me there. I had taken permission from my coaches to go with her, as I wasn’t feeling well.

“They gave me permission and I came to the hotel. When I came here, I needed some of my stuff, which was still in the Olympic Village. As I was unwell, I slept. My sister took my accreditation card and went to the village. She asked the authorities there if she was allowed to get my stuff from the village. The authorities took away the accreditation card from her and took her to the police station for verification. This was the only reason she was taken to the police station. I wasn’t taken to the police station,” she added.

She said the police released her sister soon after the verification. “After the verification was done, my sister was sent back with the accreditation card,” she said.

About the coaches getting involved in a fight with a cab driver she said: “It was also said that my coach fought with a driver, but that isn’t true either. My coaches were just upset with my loss. I was the one who booked their cab. They came to the hotel but got into a bit of trouble because of a language barrier.

“They wanted to come to the hotel to collect money (Euros) but some miscommunication happened with the cab driver.

“One of my coaches came to the room to collect money and since the room was high up in the building, it took some time. The delay resulted in a bit of an argument with the cab driver, but nothing major,” she said.