Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, Jan 20: The Indian Olympic Association has received a written complaint alleging sexual harassment against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the president of the Indian Wrestling Federation.
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 against Wrestling Federation India chairman Brij Bhushan Saran Singh.
Wrestlers Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, Sakshee Malikkh, Ravi Dahiya and Deepak Punia write to PT Usha, President of the Indian Olympic Association on alleged sexual harassment complaints against Brijbhushan Saran Singh, President of Wrestling Federation of India pic.twitter.com/fVZEkyabtY
— ANI (@ANI) January 20, 2023
The letter also claimed that the WFI had misappropriated funds related to wrestlers’ contract payments. Vinesh Phogat, an Olympian, was allegedly subjected to mental abuse and torture by the WFI President after failing to win an Olympic medal in Tokyo, which nearly drove her to consider suicide, according to the letter.
The wrestlers expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of instructors working in the national camps, labelling them as ineffective and little more than Brij Bhushan Singh informants. They continued by saying that several young wrestlers in the federation also have these opinions.
Four requests were made to the IOA by the protesting wrestlers. They asked the IOA to quickly form a committee to look into the sexual harassment claims. They demanded that the WFI be dissolved and that the WFI President step down. They also urged the creation of a new committee to manage WFI business in conjunction with the wrestlers.
The wrestlers’ protest against Brij Bhushan Singh was made very apparent in the letter, and it also said that they will not budge until he is removed from his role as WFI President.
