The president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), PT Usha, remarked on Thursday, 27th April 2023, that the protests by the wrestlers on the streets amount to indiscipline and are damaging the nation’s reputation. Indian wrestlers, including Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, and Sakshi Malik, are protesting against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. Wrestlers have accused Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of sexual harassment and criminal intimidation.
PT Usha said, “Indian Olympic Association (IOA) is having a committee for sexual harassment, instead of going to the streets they (protesting wrestlers) could have come to us earlier but they didn’t come to IOA. It isn’t good for Sports not only for wrestlers, they should also have some discipline”
Indian Olympic Association (IOA) is having a committee for sexual harassment, instead of going to the streets they (protesting wrestlers) could have come to us earlier but they didn't come to IOA. It isn't good for Sports not only for wrestlers, they should also have some… pic.twitter.com/EaeHQOE4rI
— ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2023
The IOA also established a three-person ad hoc panel, comprised of former shooter Suma Shirur, Bhupendra Singh Bajwa, and a yet-to-be-named retired high court judge, to manage the WFI’s operations until a new body is elected.
After the protest first began in January, the IOA and the government were able to pacify the wrestlers by promising to look into their claims against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and the WFI.
On the other hand, wrestler Bajrang Punia, on Thursday, refuted Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur’s assertion that he engaged with the protesting wrestlers for 12 hours to settle their issues.
#WATCH | Delhi: "Sports Minister sat with athletes only for a few minutes…at times we were intimidated in the meeting…": Protesting Wrestlers on Union Sports Minister's reaction on their protest against WFI chief & BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh https://t.co/mg2JdkZFSL pic.twitter.com/edzFF3BGrw
— ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2023
Bajrang Punia said, “The sports minister is saying that he spoke to the players for 12 hours. Once ask the Sports Minister for how long you were sitting among the players. He sat for 2-4 minutes with the players. His officials were mediating with the players.”
Vinesh Phogat, a wrestler and one of the three main protesters against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, claimed that at the meetings that were held to find a solution, the wrestlers were occasionally even intimidated.
Earlier in the day Anurag Thakur held a press conference in Shimla where he spoke about the issue. In addition to reiterating its commitment to an “impartial probe” into the allegations against WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, he said that the government provided all of the protesting wrestlers the opportunity to state their cases before the monitoring committee.
He said, “A few wrestlers are sitting in protest at Jantar Mantar. I have spent 12 hours with them — seven hours on the first day and five hours the next day (in January). I had listened to all their grievances, held a press conference at 2-2.30 at night, and formed a committee after talking to them.”
We heard wrestlers for 12 hours & formed a committee, we also want an impartial probe, there were 14 meetings that were conducted. Everybody was given an opportunity to keep their point of view in front of an oversight committee. FIR can be registered at any PS: Union Sports… pic.twitter.com/AjUhhWzX6g
— ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2023
He added, “They had asked to add a member and gave Babita Phogat’s name, and we added her to the committee. There is nothing in our mind, we wanted an impartial probe.”
