Vinesh Phogat accuses WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of sexual harrasment as wrestlers stage protest

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New Delhi, Jan 18: In a series of serious allegations made by star Indian wrestlers against the sport's regulatory body's (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, two-time World Championship medallist Vinesh Phogat accused the president and coaches of repeated sexual misconduct on women wrestlers at the national camps in Lucknow.

Vinesh, who was part of the Indian wrestler's group staging a protest at the Jantar Mantar on Wednesday, said that they were threatened by the WFI senior officials and other stooges of the Brij Bhushan that if they speak against the federation in the media, they will lose their life.

"Some of the WFI coaches at the women's national camp have sexually harassed," said Vinesh. "Not all the coaches but those who are close to the president have sexually harassed the female wrestlers and have misbehaved with the women's coaches as well. I raised a complaint against it and still the chief coach (Jitender Yadav) wasn't changed."

"And it doesn't stop there because the same coaches then force girls to be intimidate with the president as well. The president himself has sexually harassed many of the wrestlers at the camp. And some of the female wrestlers present here have been his victim as well."

Apart from Vinesh, the women wrestlers present at the protest were Sakshi Malik, Sarita Mor, Anshu Malik, Sonam Malik, and Sangeeta Phogat.

Vinesh further added that she has put her life in danger by saying all this.

"I have said this today but I don't know if I will be alive tomorrow. I am not taking the names of any of the girls because they will lose their face in society. I know at least 20 girls in the last 10 years, who have come to me and told me how they were mistreated by the president or federation officials but the girls are too afraid to come forward and speak up because of their poor background," said Vinesh.

Singh's dictatorial approach to handling WFI came to light last year after the Commonwealth Games as well when the president was seen calling shots of World Wrestling Championship trials while not granting exemptions to any of the elite women grapplers despite repeated requests.

Vinesh further said that it was because of Singh's political clout and the power he holds within the federation that forced the wrestlers to stage a protest as the matter has reached its tipping point.

"Federation has mentally tortured me a lot and it reached a point where I wanted to take my life," said Vinesh. "I am saying this today that if anything happens to any of the players present here, the wrestling president and the federation will be responsible for it.

"He is a powerful man and has been a sitting MP for a while now and we athletes often used to get death threats for even the smallest of things. I won't be taking any names but they are close to the WFI president. When it will be needed i will reveal the names as well."

Bajrang Punia requests a meeting with PM Modi and Amit Shah to take action

Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist Bajrang Punia, who was among the men's wrestlers present at the protest, urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the home minister (Amit Shah) to interfere in the matter. Punia also added that the wrestlers' protest at Jantar Mantar will continue untill the WFI president and other alleged of sexual misconducts resign.

"Today we are here because we hope the Prime Minister and the home minister to interfere in the matter," said Punia. "Apart from death threats and sexual harassment, even male wrestlers have been mistreated by WFI officials. We, elite athletes, have often asked for facilities like coaches and physios before and at multiple international events but they have been ignored so many times by the federation."

Bajrang also added that Brij Bhushan has been running the federation from his home and has been treating it like his family affair, which included ill-treatment of both men's and women's wrestlers.

"President has been acting like a coach, referee and the boss of any national tournament we participate in despite us having our personal coaches with us. While holding an important position of president, he has often used cuss words against us if we dare to disagree with him. There was a video of him slapping a wrestler on the stage, and there is another video of him cussing a wrestler as well and I will share them with you," revealed the five-time World Championship medallist.

Bajrang accuses WFI officials of stealing funds

Bajrang also added that since Tata Motors became WFI's sponsors and provided funding to wrestlers as per grades allotted to them, none of them received the money that was promised to them.

Tata Motors have been WFI's sponsor since 2018 and recently extended the contract to the 2024 Olympics.

"Since Tata Motors became our sponsor, ask any wrestler here, and they will tell you they got no help from them. So it must be asked where is the money that was provided by the sponsors to the athletes. Some of the Grade A names only got a few installments of the funds but then it stopped as well," said Bajrang.

He further added that WFI also instructed the private sponsors not to directly get in touch with the wrestlers without notifying them.

"Earlier private sponsors were allowed to contact us directly but later on WFI made it a rule that sponsors must approach the federation first to sponsor an athlete. If Tata's money never came to us, how will we get the help of other sponsors?" asked Bajrang.