The final bouts of the 67th 'Maharashtra Kesari' wrestling competition ended in ugly scenes with one loser kicking a referee on the chest and another abusing them over loss of points.
The tournament was held in Ahilyanagar, Pune, on Sunday in the presence of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and Union Minister Murlidhar Mohol.
After Pune-based wrestler Prithviraj Mohol was declared the winner in the mat category semi-final, his opponent Shivraj Rakshe disputed the verdict and abused and kicked a referee on the chest.
Rakshe, a two time Maharashtra Kesari winner, said his shoulders had not touched the mat during the body slam manoeuvre of Mohol.
"Despite this the referee ruled that I had lost. I was abused when I was arguing my case and that is why took this step (of kicking)," Rakshe claimed.
Rakshe, who was suspended by the wrestling body for three years, said similar action must also be taken against the referees, adding that he would go to court over the verdict.
Maharashtra Wrestling Organisation working president Sandip Bhondve said the 'on bout' referee confirmed Rakshe had fallen, and the side referees and mat chairman backed the decision.
"The challenge of Rakshe to the ruling under article 31 of the United World Wrestling was not accepted. After this incident, referees are afraid and they may not come forward to adjudicate in such tournaments in future," Bhondve said.
In the final match between Mohol and Mahendra Gaikwad, the latter left the bout with 16 seconds remaining and later abused referees, for which he too was suspended by the controlling authority for three years.
"Gaikwad left when 16 seconds were remaining because he knew he would not be able to bridge the gap in points with his opponent in this short time. Both Rakshe and Gaikwad have been suspended for three years. They have been banned from taking part in the championship," Bhondve added.
The coveted 'Maharashtra Kesari' title was won by Mohol, who said this was the biggest moment of his wrestling career.
"I cannot say anything about the decisions of the referees. The decision of the referees is final. I am a wrestler and I have done my job," Mohol added.
Meanwhile, former Maharashtra Kesari winner Chandrahar Patil said the 'on bout' referee had erred by declaring Mohol the winner without verifying Rakshe's 'fall' on the mat.
In a controversial statement, Patil said "Rakshe should have shot the referee".
"Rakshe has been a wrestler for more than 15 years. In just 10 seconds, his career has been destroyed due to the mistake of a referee," said Patil, who, incidentally, contested the Lok Sabha polls from Sangli on a Shiv Sena (UBT) ticket and lost his deposit.
Former wrestler and noted coach Kaka Pawar also claimed the referee was at fault for not checking if the 'fall' was right.
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