Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Jan 18: Some Indian wrestlers have levelled serious charges against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and its president Brijbhushan Sharan Singh including molesting the women athletes and have threatened not to participate in any international events representing India till the Federation president was removed.
A group of about 30 noted wrestlers including Olympians like Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia sat in protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi demanding Singh’s removal, even as the WFI president denied all the allegations and invited investigations by the CBI or police while refusing to resign. “No truth in wrestlers’ allegations against me, I am ready to be hanged even if one sexual harassment case is proved,” the WFI chief Brij Bhushan added. “I will not quit as WFI President but I am ready for investigation by CBI or police.”
Vinesh Phogat, the first Indian woman wrestler to win gold in both Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games, raised some serious allegations against the WFI and its president. The veteran athlete, who has represented India at the Olympics too, said “national coaches molested female wrestlers over the years and were given death threats by WFI officials.” “We will not compete in any international competition until WFI President is removed”, Bajrang Punia, Olympic bronze medallist wrestler, declared at the protest.
Singh has been at the helm of the WFI since 2011. He was elected President of WFI for the third consecutive time in February 2019. “We were threatened that our careers will come to an end if we speak. Federation members used profanities against female wrestlers. We have approached the Prime Minister as well,” Vinesh added.
Rio Olympics medallist Sakshi Malik, world championship medallist Sarita Mor, Sangeeta Phogat, Satyawart Malik, Jitender Kinha and CWG medallist Sumit Malik were among 30 wrestlers who assembled at Jantar Mantar on Wednesday.
Vinesh, a world championship medallist and Olympian, also claimed that several coaches at the national camp in Lucknow have exploited women wrestlers, adding that there are a few women at the camp who approach wrestlers at the behest of the WFI President. “Some coaches are close to the national federations. Those coaches have exploited young girls. Don’t know how many young girls have suffered due to them,” Vinesh further stated.
The 28-year-old though clarified that she herself has not faced such exploitation but claimed that she had received death threats at the behest of WFI President from officials close to him because she dared to draw Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s attention to several issues plaguing Indian wrestling when she met him after the Tokyo Games.
“I know at least 10-12 women wrestlers who have told me about the sexual exploitation they faced at the hands of (the) WFI President. They told me their stories. I can’t take their names now but I can definitely reveal the names if we get to meet the Prime Minister and the Home Minister of the country,” Vinesh said addressing the media after staging a four-hour dharna at Jantar Mantar.
Sitting beside Vinesh, Bajrang Punia said the federation was being run in an arbitrary manner and they would not compete in any international competition unless the WFI President was removed. “Our fight is not against the government or the Sports Authority of India (SAI). This is against WFI. ‘Yeh ab aar paar ki ladai hai’ (It’s a fight to the finish). We will continue this protest until WFI President is removed,” Punia said.
Responding to the allegations, Singh told the media persons, “I came here as soon as I got to know the wrestlers are protesting. Is there anyone on record who can say the Federation has molested us? If you had such issues with the federation, then why did nobody raise them for 10 years? Issues come up whenever rules are formed.”
“No truth in wrestlers’ allegations against me, I am ready to be hanged even if one sexual harassment case is proved,” the WFI chief added. “I will not quit as WFI President but I am ready for investigation by CBI or police.” He also levelled counter allegations against some wrestlers. “An industrialist is behind this conspiracy against me. Why Vinesh did not approach police if she received death threats,” he further alleged.
Singh maintained that there was no incident of sexual harassment. “If such a thing has happened, then I will hang myself. Sexual harassment is a big allegation. How can I take action when my own name has been dragged into this? I am ready for an investigation,” he said.
Wrestlers who are sitting on the protest have not contested any national tournament after the Olympics, Mr. Singh added. The Federation required all wrestlers, regardless of their position, to appear in trials, which is said to be one of the reasons for the protest.
“After the Tokyo Olympics defeat, WFI president called me ‘ khota sikka’ [A Hindi phrase used to term someone as worthless]. WFI mentally tortured me. I used to think of ending my life each day. If anything happens to any wrestler, then the responsibility will on WFI president,” Phogat added.
Olympic wrestler Malik also demanded the whole Federation be removed so that the “future of new wrestlers is safe”. “A new federation should come into existence. Dirt has spread from the lower level. We’ll speak to PM & HM & reveal details. Investigation must be done on some matters,” she said.
Meanwhile, WFI Assistant Secretary, Vinod Tomar said all the issues could be resolved if the wrestlers approach the Federation. “Don’t know what this is all about. However, we came to know from the letter to the WFI president that some wrestlers are sitting in protest. I have come to ask them about their problem,” Tomar said. He also claimed the protesting wrestlers still haven’t taken the Federation into confidence about their issues.