In the wake of the #MeToo controversy, boxing legend Mary Kom will lead the committee which will oversee the functions of the Wrestling Federation of India for the Sport’s Ministry. The ranking tournament in Gonda, UP, a bastion of Sharan, was among the ongoing activities that the ministry had ordered the Wrestling Federation of India to suspend “with immediate effect.” As a result of the grapplers’ charges of sexual harassment and corruption against the head of the sports federation suspended, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, and Vinod Tomar, the assistant secretary of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).
Mary Kom will lead the Sports Ministry’s Oversight Committee in managing day-to-day affairs of Wrestling Federation of India
Following a lengthy discussion with the protesting wrestlers, including Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, and Babita Phogat, among others, union sports minister Anurag Thakur last week announced the creation of the oversight committee.
Union Sports Minister announces formation of oversight committee
Thakur while addressing Press Conference, stated
“It has been decided that an oversight committee will be formed. Names for which will be announced tomorrow. The committee will complete its investigation within four weeks. The wrestlers put forward their demands. I have assured them that appropriate steps will be taken. All allegations of sexual harassment and financial misappropriation will be probed,”
“Till the investigation is over, he (Singh) will step aside and co-operate with the investigation and the oversight committee will run the day-to-day affairs of WFI.”
A seven-member committee was previously created by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to look into claims of sexual harassment made by wrestlers against federation head Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. That panel’s chairman is also Mary Kom. Sahdev Yadav, head of the Indian Weightlifting Federation of India (IWLF), wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt, archer Dola Banerjee, and others are on the panel. Two attorneys will also be on the committee. Before coming to a decision, the panel will first consult with the protesting wrestlers and then the WFI.
On Wednesday, Vinesh Phogat, the first Indian wrestler to win a gold medal at both the Asian and Commonwealth Games, claimed that
“national coaches molested female wrestlers over the years and were given death threats by WFI officials.”
She and other prominent Indian wrestlers held a large demonstration at the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi starting on Wednesday, demanding the ouster of the WFI president from his position.
The wrestlers who gathered at the well-known protest spot included Rio Olympic medalist Sakshi Malik, World Championship medalist Sarita Mor, Sangeeta Phogat, Anshu Malik, Sonam Malik, Satyawart Malik, Jitender Kinha, Amit Dhankar, and CWG medalist Sumit Malik.
Vignesh Phogat stated,
“It’s better to die once rather than slowly dying everyday. We are not able to sleep at night as we have no idea whether we are going to participate in the competition or not. Whether we will be going to the national camp or not.
We doubt that these coaches and their supporters may spike our food and we may get positive during the doping test,”
“So we are worried about all these things. As the president Brij Bhushan ji was saying that he is innocent, I am telling you that we have sent numerous mails to him but he never replied to any of them. Now do we have to go to his room for each and everything?”
Vinesh Phogat claimed that several coaches at National Camp in Lucknow exploited women wrestlers
Olympic and world champion wrestler Vinesh also asserted that several coaches at a national camp in Lucknow had taken advantage of female wrestlers, and that a handful of the camp’s female staff members approached wrestlers at the WFI President’s direction.
She further stated
“Some coaches are close to the national federations. Those coaches have exploited young girls. Don’t know how many young girls have suffered due to them,”
The 28-year-old did, however, clarify that she has not personally experienced such exploitation, but she claimed that she has received death threats at the direction of WFI president from individuals close to him because she dared to bring up several problems affecting Indian wrestling when she met Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the Tokyo Games.
She reiterated,
“I know at least 10-20 women wrestlers who have told me about the sexual exploitation they faced at the hands of (the) WFI President. They told me their stories. I can’t take their names now but I can definitely reveal the names if we get to meet the Prime Minister and the Home Minister of the country,”
“I have received death threats from people who are close to the WFI President. If anything happens to any of us sitting here, only the WFI President will be responsible.”
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