The Wrestling Federation of India has rejected accusations of sexual harassment towards its president Brij Bushan Sharan Singh and arbitrariness in its administration following expenses by the nation’s high wrestlers.
In its reply to the union sports activities ministry, which had sought an evidence from WFI on Wednesday after the nation’s high wrestlers started a sit-in protest on the Capital’s Jantar Mantar space. Following a format criticism to the Indian Olympic Affiliation (IOA), the PT Usha-headed apex sports activities physique introduced a seven-member committee headed by boxer MC Mary Kom to enter the allegations.
The reason to the ministry, signed by WFI common secretary VN Prasood, rejected accusations of sexual harassment towards the physique’s president.: “Any aggrieved particular person/wrestler could strategy the stated (WFI’s sexual harassment) committee for its grievances if any, which committee is certain to inquire as per regulation. Nevertheless, no such criticism of any such nature as has been aired by the protestors/wrestlers has been acquired thus far. Therefore, any such media experiences with none particular criticism acquired can by no means be taken word of by the WFI Sexual Harassment Committee nor such allegations could be affirmed nor confirmed besides to be denied having been so made as a form of motivated, biased, unfounded, unfaithful and false bald allegations solely with a view to hurt the President, WFI or the Coaches of WFI,” it says.
The WFI insists it at all times acted in one of the best pursuits of wrestlers and the nation and that its work has enhanced Indian wrestling at nationwide and worldwide ranges. “… And for the document of this Ministry it’s not doable with out truthful, supportive, clear and strict administration of the WFI… ,” it says.
Giving an inventory of nationwide occasions performed by WFI, it says “… the next Nationwide Wrestling occasions held in 2022 additionally speaks of truthful, supportive, clear and strict administration of the WFI and clearly proves unsubstantiated however surmised, conjectured, ill-will based mostly, malicious, unfounded media allegations towards the WFI qua its administration…”.
The reply says the “sitting administration of WFI is wrestling oriented and never wrestlers centric besides to assist and help wrestlers… and doesn’t enable whims and fancies of anybody together with both of the coaches or of the wrestlers because the administration of WFI is dedicated for promotion of wrestling … there is no such thing as a scope for any arbitrariness and mismanagement of WFI besides caring for and/or appearing in one of the best curiosity of the wrestling in addition to wrestlers as per the coverage, guidelines, laws, directions and so on., of the WFI or the Govt. of India or of any worldwide physique.
The revolt by the highest wrestlers, Olympic medallists Bajrang Punia, Ravi Dahiya and Sakshi Malik, and world championships medallists Vinesh Phogat and Deepak Punia, noticed two conferences with union sports activities minister Anurag Thakur and sending a proper criticism of sexual harassment and different expenses towards Singh to the IOA.
The protest was withdrawn on Friday night time after the IOA introduced the committee to probe the criticism.