High Indian wrestlers have organised sit-in protests in opposition to a number of coaches and the game’s chief, who can be a Parliament member.
Olympic medal-winning Indian wrestlers have accused the chief of the game’s governing physique and several other coaches of sexually harassing a number of feminine athletes, with the opposition questioning the federal government’s silence.
The wrestlers, led by Olympic bronze winners Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia, started protesting within the capital New Delhi on Wednesday after accusing the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of sexual harassment. The sit-in protest has continued on Thursday.
Singh, who has been heading the WFI since 2011, is a six-time member of Parliament from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Occasion (BJP).
Commonwealth Video games girls’s gold winner Vinesh Phogat mentioned that coaches and the WFI president have sexually harassed a number of ladies.
“Girls wrestlers have been sexually harassed at nationwide camps by coaches and likewise the WFI president,” the 28-year-old athlete mentioned.
“I do know at the least 10-20 ladies within the nationwide camp who’ve come and advised me their tales,” she advised reporters.
Phogat mentioned many wrestlers have been intimidated from coming ahead.
“They’re scared due to their household background. They’ll’t battle them as a result of they’re highly effective.”
“Wrestling is our solely livelihood and they aren’t letting us do it. Our solely possibility is to die. So may as nicely do good earlier than dying,” she added. She didn’t state that she was a sufferer herself.
Congress chief Priyanka Gandhi Vadra got here out in assist of the athletes demanding investigation into the allegations.
“Our gamers are the pleasure of the nation. They create laurels to the nation by their efficiency on the world stage. The gamers have made critical allegations of exploitation in opposition to the Wrestling Federation and its president and their voices ought to be heard,” she tweeted.
Singh, the WFI head, has denied all allegations in opposition to him, saying that the athletes haven’t any proof to assist them.
On Thursday, Malik advised reporters after a gathering with sports activities ministry officers that the wrestlers got “assurances” of motion.
The sports activities ministry mentioned in an announcement on Wednesday that it took a “very critical view of the matter” and had sought a response to the allegations from the federation inside 72 hours.
Manohar Lal Khattar, the chief minister of Haryana state – the place the athletes are from – mentioned the problem has come to his authorities’s discover.
“The difficulty has come to our discover and the Union authorities’s Sports activities Minister has taken notice of it. The WFI has been requested to provide their reply inside 72 hours. All points [raised by wrestlers] have been taken into critical consideration. I’m positive the Union authorities and its Sports activities Ministry shall undoubtedly take cognisance of those,” he mentioned in an announcement.
“Athletes work exhausting to win medals for the nation, however the federation has accomplished nothing however allow us to down,” Malik, who received a bronze medal on the 2016 Rio Olympics, tweeted.
The allegations come months after the coach of the nation’s nationwide biking staff was sacked following sexual harassment fees.
Malik, Phogat and Punia, who’s certainly one of India’s high male wrestlers, mentioned they might not participate in any tournaments till sufficient motion was taken and the wrestling federation was disbanded.
“Athletes say they need the federal government to intervene and desire a response by the tip of the week,” mentioned Al Jazeera’s Pavni Mittal from New Delhi.
“Wrestlers say they won’t be taking part in any worldwide matches until their calls for are met. These embrace sacking of the president. Additionally they need extra assist, together with monetary assist and the coaching centre to be shifted to New Delhi.”
