On April 29, a screenshot allegedly from the Olympics started making rounds on social media platforms. It was claimed that the Olympics had kept aside a few medals for the protesting wrestlers so they could take them home without competing.
The screenshot read, “We have been closely monitoring the protests by wrestlers in India, and it has been conveyed to us that they want a direct entry in the Olympic games without playing at national level and medical clearance. Hence, the international Olympic committee has decided to keep a few gold medals reserved for the Phogat sisters, which they can take home without playing any game at the Olympics.”
The screenshot, however, was a fake. OpIndia checked the timeline of the Olympics’ Twitter handle and did not find any such tweet.
The origin of the sarcastic tweet
The origin of the sarcastic tweet is the statement that the protesting wrestlers have made. Notably, the wrestlers who are protesting claiming the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh sexually harassed the athletes. In several statements during the protests, they demanded direct entry to the Olympics without competing for the nationals. Ideally, athletes who compete at the national level should get a chance to show their potential on the international platform.
Thank you Vinesh Phogat for exposing yourself..
— BHK1.0🇮🇳 (@BHKspeaks) April 29, 2023
The protest was never against Brij Bhushan and sexual harassment. It was all about running the federation on their terms and getting direct entry to the Olympics without playing nationals. pic.twitter.com/24tuol6drP
The issue between the federation and athletes has been boiling up for a long time as these international players want direct entry into the Olympics and other international competitions, without competing in the nationals which is being opposed. In a recent statement, Vignesh Phogat said a separate federation for wrestlers in Haryana has been created and none of the protesting wrestlers would compete in nationals. She claimed they are ready to compete at the Olympics directly.
The protests against WFI President
On April 28 the Delhi police told the Supreme Court that it is ready to file an FIR against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, amid a second round of protests by several wrestlers demanding action against him alleging sexual harassment. Wrestlers, including Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat, are protesting at Jantar Mantar in Delhi against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh alleging sexual harassment and intimidation. After the hearing in the Supreme Court, the wrestlers demanded that the WFI president be put in jail and the protest will continue until this happens.
