New Delhi [India]: Commonwealth Games gold medalist Vinesh Phogat on Thursday expressed her frustration with Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president PT Usha’s comments on the wrestler’s protest against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and its president Brijbhushan Sharan Singh.
Earlier, PT Usha said on Thursday that the wrestlers should have approached the IOA earlier instead of going out in the streets against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and its president Brijbhushan Sharan Singh, who the wrestlers accused of sexual harassment and mismanagement of athletes. “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 did not come to IOA. It is not good for sports not only for wrestlers, they should also have some discipline,” said Usha to the media.
Wrestlers have expressed disappointment with Usha’s comments.
“Being a woman athlete, she (PT Usha) is not listening to other women athletes. We have followed her since childhood and got inspired by her. Where is indiscipline here, we are sitting here peacefully..” Sakshi Malik told mediapersons.
Vinesh Phogat, the CWG and World Championships medalist also called Usha’s comments as “insensitive”.
“We live as per the constitution and are independent citizens. We can go anywhere. If we are sitting out in the streets, there must be some reason, a reason that nobody listened to us, be it IOA or Sports Ministry. Her saying this is insensitive. I even called her, but she did not pick up my phone,” said Vinesh.
Bajrang Punia, the Olympic medalist also said, “You feel sad when she says these things because she is the IOA Chief and a woman herself, she cried for her academy in front of the media. She wants us to approach IOA, but we went there three months back, but no justice was given.”
Ace Indian grapplers such as Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia, and many other wrestlers are involved in the protest against the WFI chief.
The Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur also said that the government also wants an impartial probe and 14 meetings were conducted with wrestlers.
“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,” Anurag Thakur said on Thursday.
“The major findings of the committee were impartial elections, till then, an ad-hoc committee must be formed and an internal complaint committee must be formed,” he added.
Over the previous four days, the wrestlers have slept and trained at the protest location.
On Wednesday, grapplers held a candle march at Jantar Mantar in the national capital as they continue their protest against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and its president Brijbhushan Sharan Singh. Vinesh Phoghat, Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik were present in the candle march.
While talking to the media, Sakshi Malik said, “We urge PM Modi to listen to our Mann Ki Baat. Even Smriti Irani ji is not listening to us. We are trying to show them the light through this candle march,” said Sakshee to the media.
The wrestler said that no FIR had been filed after the wrestlers registered a complaint against the WFI and its chief on Friday.
“We trust Supreme Court that it will give us justice,” said Sakshi Malik.
