NEW DELHI: Indian sports on Wednesday was rocked by serious claims of unwanted sexual advances and intimidation by the countrys leading females wrestlers, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik, who jointly implicated judgment Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) member of parliament and wrestling federations (WFI) chief, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, of sexually making use of several females grapplers at nationwide camps for years.Vinesh, a double World Championships medallist and a three-time CWG gold winner, likewise implicated Singh of indirectly issuing death dangers to her through some prominent WFI office-bearers after she fulfilled Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally along with her household in October 2021 on her return from Tokyo Olympics and talked about the problems faced by the Indian wrestlers rising the ranks, WFIs illogical choice policies and the federations high-handedness faced by some of the leading wrestlers.Vinesh and Rio Olympics bronze winner Sakshi, flanked by Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Bajrang Punia, staged a four-hour long sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar here, requiring action versus Singh and other WFI office-bearers of being complicit in his misbehaviors.
They likewise blamed some national coaches, accusing them and Singh of sexually bugging wrestlers at the Sports Authority of India-run (SAI) Netaji Subhas regional centre in Lucknow, where the national camps for females wrestlers are organised.Bajrang Punia to Vinesh Phogat - Why are Indias medal-winning wrestlers opposing on the streets of Delhi? Several females wrestlers have actually been sexually exploited by Singh over the years.
Some female wrestlers who are sitting here with me at the protest website are victims of sexual harassment by him.
I wont be taking names however at least 20 ladies I know have been sexually pestered at the camp.
I have never personally dealt with such exploitation but have actually heard several stories about his misbehaviours.
Why does he always hold the nationwide camp in Lucknow? Its due to the fact that his house is in Lucknow and its convenient for him to indulge in such acts.
He is a big-time politician, a strongman who wields a great deal of money and muscle power.
Nobody dares speak against him due to the fact that everybody knows what he can do with our lives.
Today, we decided to break our silence and expose him in front of the entire world due to the fact that we have had enough of this male, a weeping Vinesh informed a loaded press conference.Singh is a five-time MP from Kaiserganj in Uttar Pradesh.
When gotten in touch with, Singh refuted all the claims versus him by saying the demonstration had been called at the behest of a countrys leading industrialist connected with Indian fumbling.
I will not call him however it is at his request that these wrestlers are protesting.
I am not going to leave my post even if specific allegations have actually been levelled versus me.
I am open to any inquiry by the government.
This is a big issue and I understand it will not die down quickly.
The protesting wrestlers included other leading India wrestlers consisting of World championships medallists, Anshu Malik and Sarita Mor, Sonam Malik, Sumit Malik, Satyawart Kadian, Amit Dhankar, Jitender Kinha and Bajrangs coach Sujeet Maan among others.
The wrestlers mean to continue their demonstration braving Delhis chill till the time Singh is eliminated from his post.
The wrestlers said they wont take part in any national or international tournaments or sign up with the camp till their demands are fulfilled.
Several coaches have actually been sexually exploiting female wrestlers at the camps.
Some of them are senior coaches.
They have been designated by Singh specifically to watch on such wrestlers so that he can exploit them.
These coaches pass on every small information-- who these female students are talking to, wandering around with or gossiping.
They are like his ears at the camps and themselves delight in unsuitable behaviour.
When Bajrang had decided to marry Sangeeta Phogat, the WFI president had actually dissuaded him.
He has this routine of interfering in every female wrestlers life, Vinesh alleged.
If tomorrow something takes place to me or to my fellow wrestlers sitting here, then Singh ought to be held responsible for it.
The people in WFI are very powerful.
When I failed to win a medal in Tokyo, WFI had branded me a traitor.
Singh called me a khota sikka.
All we want is his removal from the post and a visit with honourable PM Modi and union home minister Amit Shah to inform them about WFIs dark side.
I cant reveal the names (of wrestlers being sexually exploited by Singh) here however can inform them.
We will also reveal them the videos of him physically abusing the male wrestlers during champions and hurling curs at them, she added.Four-time World Championships medallist, Bajrang, included: We want to tell the world about the WFIs tanashahi (dictatorship).
They treat us like their servants.
We are here to safeguard the interests of young wrestlers.
We may not be around for long, possibly 2024 Paris or 2026 or 2028 Los Angeles.
What about the younger generation of wrestlers? Singh treats them with contempt, utilizes foul language or slaps any wrestler like he did during an age-group national tournament in Ranchi (in December 2021).
On the accusations of unwanted sexual advances, Singh answered back that no one, other than for Vinesh, has stepped forward to say that he has sexually abused them.
Even if one wrestler comes forward and states that she has actually been sexually pestered by me, you can hang me that day.
Its just Vinesh who has levelled such charges.
Has any other female wrestler stated that Singh or WFI officials pestered them? Singh has been at the WFIs helm since 2011.
He was re-elected to the presidents post for the 3rd time in February 2019.
Singh added that the new policy which requires every wrestler to complete at the Nationals and Open Nationals for choice at the nationwide camp has actually been triggering discomfort to them, resulting in the protest.
He also declared that former Haryana fumbling association office-bearer Tirath Rana, who tried to create a parallel body, had actually been misinforming the wrestlers.