Hours before the wrestlers called off their protest, WFI dismissed their claims

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Union Sports and Youth Minister Anurag Thakur with wrestlers during a press conference in New Delhi. | Photo credit: ANI

The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) had dismissed all allegations, including that of sexual harassment against its president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, and claimed the wrestlers’ protest was driven by a hidden agenda to unseat the current leadership.

The WFI denied all the charges in its response to the government’s opinion and claimed that there was no room for arbitrariness and mismanagement in the federation.

The Sports Ministry had demanded an explanation from WFI after the country’s top wrestlers sat on a dharna and alleged the federation chief was sexually harassing female wrestlers and acting like a dictator.

The WFI sent its response on the evening of January 20, and hours later the wrestlers called off their protest after the government announced it would form an oversight committee to investigate the charges. He also said the WFI chief would stand down until the investigation is complete.

The WFI is managed by an elected body in accordance with its constitution, and therefore there is no room for arbitrariness and mismanagement of the WFI by anyone individually, including the President, the WFI said in its response to the Ministry of Sports.

The WFI in particular, under the leadership of the current Chairman, has always acted with the best interests of wrestlers in mind.

The WFI has improved the image of the sport of wrestling nationally and internationally and for the record of this ministry, this is not possible without fair, supportive, clean and strict management of the WFI, he said. -he adds.

The allegations were made by renowned wrestlers Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik and Ravi Dahiya.

The federation has informed the government that it has set up a five-member committee on sexual harassment, chaired by its general secretary VN Prasood and of which Sakshi is also a member.

He said the accusations were motivated, biased, unsubstantiated, false and untrue and that the allegations were made solely for the purpose of harming the President, WFI and his coaches.

Any aggrieved person/wrestler may approach the said committee with their grievances, if any, and the committee is bound to investigate according to law. However, no complaints of any kind were received from protesters/wrestlers, WFI wrote.

The wrestlers, including youths Anshu Malik, Sangeeta Phogat and Sonam Malik among others, launched a sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on January 18 and demanded the removal of the WFI chief.

The wrestlers also demanded that the WFI be disbanded immediately and that a new panel be formed, including grapplers.

The WFI listed 23 national events held in 2022 and claimed it was about fair, supportive, clean and strict management.

The WFI questioned the timing of the protest and said vested interests were behind it.

…Who obviously acted more in self-interest or under undue pressure or as part of a larger conspiracy to slander and defame the current WFI leadership or the President purely out of self-interest.

Protesting wrestlers are required to explain themselves, to the public as well as to the Ministry of Youth and Sports, especially when most of the protesters are seen gathering from a particular region or state of Haryana, the federation wrote.

It would also be interesting to draw attention to the fact that even the next WFI election is scheduled for the near future of 2023…that the protest is not in the best interest of the wrestlers, it has a personal agenda and hidden to dislodge current WFI management. The letter, signed by WFI General Secretary VN Prasood, also states that the federation is ready to cooperate with the government and will provide all the necessary information the ministry is seeking.

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