Wrestlers meet sports ministry officials amid protests ‘govt with you' message

Wrestlers meet sports ministry officials amid protests ‘govt with you' message

‘We are going to meet the officials of Union Sports Ministry and will apprise the media about it once the meeting concludes,’ said wrestler Bajrang Punia amid wrestlers' protest against WFI at Jantar Mantar.

Ace grapplers arrived at the office of Union Sports Ministry in Shashtri Bhawan for a meeting with officials amid wrestlers' protest against WFI and its chief Brijbhushan Sharan Singh.

‘We are going to meet the officials of Union Sports Ministry and will apprise the media about it once the meeting concludes,’ said wrestler Bajrang Punia amid wrestlers' protest against WFI at Jantar Mantar

Earlier in the say, champion wrestler and BJP leader Babita Phogat on Thursday arrived at the protest site at Jantar Mantar in Delhi where wrestlers continued their sit-in protest for the second day demanding action against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and other officials against alleged sexual exploitation of several athletes.

‘l have assured them that the government is with them. I will try that their issues are resolved today,’ Babita Phogat said after addressing the gathering.

Babita who is a deputy director in the Haryana Sports and Youth Affairs Department and a former wrestler had earlier tweeted, ‘l stand with all my fellow players in this matter of wrestling. I assure all of you that I will work to raise this issue with the government at every level, and the future will be decided the way players feel right.’

For the second day, Bajrang Punia, Sakshee Malikkh, and Vinesh Phogat, among others gathered at the Jantar Mantar in Delhi and were joined by other members from the fraternity.

Notably, Vinesh Phogat had previously alleged that coaches who are favourites of the WFI misbehave with women and harass them. She also accused the wrestling federation chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of sexually harassing girls and calling her a khota sikkal after her defeat at the Tokyo Olympics 2020.

Vinesh, the first Indian woman wrestler to win gold in both Commonwealth and Asian Games, alleged, ‘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.’

Earlier on Wednesday, taking cognizance of the protest staged by wrestlers, including Olympic and Commonwealth Games (CWG) medalists, in Delhi in which women wrestlers have levelled serious charges of sexual harassment by the President and coaches of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and of mismanagement in the functioning of the federation, the Sports Ministry has sought an explanation from WFI and directed it to furnish a reply within the next 72 hours on the allegations made.

The Ministry has further stated that if WFI fails to furnish the reply within the next 72 hours, the Ministry will proceed to initiate action against the federation in terms of the provisions of the National Sports Development Code, 2011.