Wrestlers call off protest after asking Sharan to step down as WFI president

New Delhi: After receiving assurances from the government that their grievances would be addressed, the aggrieved wrestlers called off their protest late on Friday, the first of which was the stepping down of Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

Wrestlers including Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik and Ravi Dahiya decided to end their protest after achieving success during the marathon second round of talks with Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur.

The government has decided to set up an inspection committee to look into the allegations of sexual harassment of women wrestlers by the WFI president. The committee, whose members will be nominated on Saturday, will also look after the day-to-day affairs of the federation.

Making the announcement, Thakur said the committee would submit its report in a month.

“It has been decided that an inspection committee will be constituted, the names of which will be announced tomorrow. The committee will complete its investigation within four weeks. It will thoroughly investigate all allegations of financial or sexual harassment that have been made against the WFI. and its chief,” Thakur said after the meeting which lasted for nearly five hours.

“Till the probe is completed, he (Singh) will step down and cooperate with the probe and the oversight committee will run the day-to-day affairs of the WFI,” Thakur said.

Speaking to the media, Bajrang Punia said that he never wanted to take the path of protest, but he was “pushed to the limit”.

“The protest is over. We didn’t want to sit on dharna but ‘water ran above our heads’. The government has assured us of safety and security, we have been threatened by the WFI president in the past as well,” Tokyo . The Olympic bronze medalist said 2023 was an important year for him as the Asian Games and Olympic qualifiers are round the corner.

Neither the Sports Minister nor the wrestlers responded to media queries.

The wrestlers had earlier in the day said that they would file multiple FIRs against the WFI chief, but ultimately did not do so.

It can be called a big if not a big victory for the agitating wrestlers who had said that they will continue their strike till the WFI president is sacked and the federation is dissolved.

However, under the IOA constitution a National Sports Federation (NSF) cannot be dissolved unless it has violated the rules and regulations of the IOA, or has been recognized by the world body of the sport.

It should be mentioned that the wrestlers are yet to provide concrete evidence that suggests sexual harassment of female wrestlers.

Earlier in the day, the wrestlers reached out to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) demanding an inquiry.

In their letter to IOA president PT Usha, the wrestlers alleged financial embezzlement (of funds) on the part of the WFI and claimed that the coaches and sports science staff at the national camp were “absolutely incompetent”.

The wrestlers also reiterated their demand for dissolution of WFI and sacking of its president.

“A new committee should be formed to run the affairs of WFI in consultation with the wrestlers,” he wrote in his fourth and final demand.

In response, the IOA constituted a seven-member committee headed by MC Mary Kom to probe the allegations.

The IOA panel includes wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt, archer Dola Banerjee and Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWLF) president and IOA treasurer Sahdev Yadav.

The committee also has former shuttler and IOA joint secretary Alaknanda Ashok, besides two advocates Talish Ray and Shlok Chandra, who is its vice-chairman.

The decision was taken during the Emergency Executive Council meeting of the IOA, which was attended by Olympic champion shooter Abhinav Bindra, Olympic bronze medalist Yogeshwar, IOA President PT Usha and Joint Secretary Kalyan Choubey.

Most of the members of the committee are affiliated with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

Shiva Keshavan, member of the IOA Athletes Commission, was a special invitee to the meeting.

IOA president Usha has assured that a thorough probe will be done by the panel to ensure justice is done.

“The letter received from the players was discussed in detail and all members including special invitees presented their views and suggestions,” the IOA said in a statement.

“It was unanimously agreed that the IOA should not shy away from media trials. Further, the EC unanimously decided that a committee would be formed as per the Prevention of Sexual Harassment of Women Act of 2013 and both the sides would be heard and a Report to be submitted.IOA President.

The committee has been instructed to hold its meeting at the earliest.

The country’s apex sports body said, “The Election Commission also appreciates the action and initiative taken by the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs and awaits its report on the matter.”

It is interesting that Yogeshwar is part of the committee as the protesting wrestlers claimed that he was “sitting on the lap of the WFI”.

WFI president canceled the press conference

In his UP bastion of Gonda, earlier in the day, the WFI chief termed the protest as a “Shaheen Bagh sit-in” and said he would not quit.

Singh, a sixth-time Lok Sabha MP from UP’s Kaiserganj constituency, told reporters at his native place, “The protest of the wrestlers against me is the Shaheen Bagh sit-in.”

WFI files reply to government’s notice

The government had given the WFI president 72 hours (till Saturday evening) to respond to the allegations.

The WFI filed its reply to the ministry on Friday evening but Singh canceled his scheduled press conference. It was reported that he would speak to the media on Sunday after the emergency executive council meeting of the WFI.

Wrestlers get along well with boxer Vijender

Beijing Olympics bronze medalist boxer and Congress leader Vijender Singh also visited the protest site at Jantar Mantar in solidarity with the wrestlers.

Vinesh had said on Thursday that as more women wrestlers came forward with their stories of sexual abuse, she would file multiple FIRs against the WFI president.

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