The Indian Wrestling Federation is harassing wrestlers. Punia also informed reporters that WFI members don't know anything about the sport.
Digital Desk: Top Indian wrestlers Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, Anshu Malik, and Bajrang Punia are among the athletes who have accused Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, a BJP member from Kaiserganj, of sexual harassment and physical abuse.
Singh is the Wrestling Federation of India's president. He has denied the accusations and told ANI that, if they are true, he will "hang" himself. Singh had been caught on video slapping a wrestler at the Under-15 Nationals in Ranchi.
The wrestlers pointed to Singh's alleged "dictatorship" in administering the federation, stating that maltreatment of wrestlers has been going on for years, as they sat in an unprecedented protest at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar. Sarita Mor, Sangeeta Phogat, Satyawart Malik, Jitender Kinha, and Commonwealth Games medalist Sumit Malik were also present among the 30, according to India Today.
Vinesh Phogat emphasised that the WFI president is also involved in the sexual harassment of "so many females" and claimed that coaches and the WFI president had sexually assaulted female wrestlers at national camps.
According to Vinesh, certain coaches who the federation views as "favourites" also act inappropriately with female coaches.
"Today I said this, I don't know if I'll be living tomorrow. People in WFI are highly powerful, Vinesh was quoted by Indian Express.
Vinesh, a member of the Phogat wrestling dynasty from Haryana, is the first Indian woman wrestler to win a gold medal in the Commonwealth and Asian Games. She won numerous gold medals at the World Wrestling Championships. In 2020, wrestler Babita Phogat and her uncle Mahavir Phogat joined the Bharatiya Janata Party.
According to Vinesh, she has been pleading with the federation to pay attention to her issues for the past ten years. She told ANI that she and the other wrestlers are prepared to "present evidence" to the prime minister and any high court that may require it.
"This is unfair, and we have been tolerating it without saying anything. However, not anymore, "Bajrang Punia, an Olympic bronze medalist, told Indian Express.
Punia further stated that the wrestlers had taken care to exclude politicians from their protest, but he also stressed that although they weren't protesting the Sports Authority of India or any particular political party, this was going to be a "battle to the end."
The Indian Wrestling Federation is harassing wrestlers. Punia also informed reporters that WFI members don't know anything about the sport.
The Phogats' relative and fellow Olympian wrestler Sakshi Malik stated that the wrestlers are prepared to "talk to the prime minister and home minister to provide details."
"The entire federation should be dissolved to protect the future of young wrestlers. A new federation ought to be formed," she said.
MP's reply
Vinesh Phogat was questioned by MP Singh over the allegations that why she was wearing "a costume with a company's logo on it" at the Olympics.
He questioned the news agency ANI, "Is there anyone here who can claim that the Federation harassed any athlete?" He added that there has been "no incident of sexual harassment" and that if there had been, he would hang himself.
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