Wrestler Bajrang Punia on protest against WFI: ‘Nothing has been done so far to resolve our issues’
The Hindu
Indian wrestlers, including Bajrant Punia, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik, staged a protest at Jantar Mantar citing legal inaction after sexual assault allegations were levelled against Wrestling Federation of India, its chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and other coaches.
Ace India wrestler Bajrang Punia said on April 23 that the reason why wrestlers are protesting once again is that nothing has been done so far to resolve their issues and the wrestlers are here to save wrestling.
Top Indian wrestlers, including Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, Ravi Dahiya, and Sakshi Malik, held a sit-in protest in Jantar Mantar in January this year, demanding that Brij Bhushan be removed from the head office and Wrestling Federation of India be disbanded. They had accused the body and its chief of sexual harassment and mistreatment of wrestlers.
"We have just one issue. The reason for the protest is that nothing has been done so far...We are here to save wrestling. We will sit at 4 p.m. and talk," said wrestler Bajrang Punia as he and several other wrestlers headed to Jantar Mantar.
"Yes, absolutely - at Connaught Place Police Station," he says, when asked if a police complaint has been filed.
Following the protest, in January, the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports announced the formation of an 'oversight committee' to probe allegations levelled against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and its chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and other coaches. The committee was given the task of submitting a report on the issue to the ministry.
Olympic medalist Mary Kom is heading the oversight committee. Former wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt, former shuttler Trupti Murgunde, SAI member Radhica Sreeman, ex-CEO of the Target Olympic Podium Plan Rajesh Rajagopalan, and CWG gold medalist Babita Phogat are the other members of the Mary Kom-led committee.
But earlier in April, Punia had said that the wrestlers will go to court to protest against the report of the oversight committee appointed to investigate the matter and allegations put up by prominent Indian wrestlers against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and its president Brijbhushan Sharan Singh.
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