Protesting Wrestlers Write To IOA Chief PT Usha On Alleged Sexual Harassment Complaints In opposition to WFI President

Wrestlers Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, Ravi Dahiya, and Deepak Punia on Friday wrote to PT Usha, President of the Indian Olympic Association on “sexual harassment” complaints towards Wrestling Federation India chairman Brij Bhushan Saran Singh. In a letter to the IOA president Usha, the star grapplers accused the WFI chairman of sexual exploitation and monetary irregularities.
The letter signed by Bajrang Punia, Phogat, Malikkh, Dahiya, and Deepak Punia calls for the resignation of the WFI chief and the formation of an inquiry committee on the allegations of sexual harassment.

@PMOIndia @AmitShah @ianuragthakur @PTUshaOfficial pic.twitter.com/PwhJjlawPg

— Vinesh Phogat (@Phogat_Vinesh) January 20, 2023

On Thursday a number of ace wrestlers of the nation together with Phogat, Malik and Bajrang Punia participated within the sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar within the nationwide capital, that started on Wednesday.

Wrestlers have levelled fees of sexual harassment of girls wrestlers by the WFI president and its coaches and of mismanagement within the functioning of the federation. They demanded an entire overhaul of the federation.

Indian wrestler and Commonwealth Games medalist Vinesh Phogat on the primary day of protest on Wednesday alleged that coaches who’re favourites of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) misbehave with girls and harass them. She additionally accused the wrestling federation chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of sexually harassing ladies and calling her a ‘khota sikka’ after her defeat at Tokyo Olympics 2020.

On the sidelines of a sit-in protest towards the WFI close to Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, Phogat on Wednesday stated, “Coaches are harassing women and some coaches, who are favourites of the Federation, misbehave with women coaches as well. They sexually harass girls. The WFI president has sexually harassed many girls.”

However, the WFI chief refuted the fees of sexual assault allegations made by the wrestlers towards him on Wednesday.

Denying the claims by the wrestlers of their sexual assault, Singh stated, “I read that the name of the chief coach has also been taken in sexual assault allegations. I also read that the reason for the players’ camp being held in Lucknow is so that they can be called at my home. I do have a home in Lucknow but I hardly reside there. My home is 120-130 kms away from Lucknow. All the sexual harassment allegations are false and I will commit suicide if they are found to be true. I tried to get in touch with the wrestlers, including Bajrang Punia but was unable to do so.”

Meanwhile, some wrestlers additionally had a late final night time assembly with Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur on the difficulty that stretched into the early hours of in the present day.

Later within the day, underneath strain to resign from his place over allegations of sexual exploitation of girls wrestlers, WFI chairman Singh stated he’ll “expose” the “political conspiracy” on Friday afternoon in a press convention.

Singh, who can be a BJP Lok Sabha MP from Kaiserganj in Uttar Pradesh, in a Facebook submit stated that he’ll maintain a press convention on the Wrestling Training Centre in Nawabganj in Gonda district of the state.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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