Indian wrestlers staged a sit-in protest near the parliament building in New Delhi over three days late last month, accusing the president of the wrestling federation of sexually and mentally harassing young female athletes. Athletes have accused several officials, including the president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, of sexual misconduct. India’s biggest names in women’s wrestling led the protest demanding his dismissal, including Sakshi Malik, the only Indian woman to have won an Olympic medal for the sport, and Vinesh Phogat, who took gold at both the Commonwealth and Asian Games. They were joined by men’s Olympic bronze medallist Bajrang Punia. The government has removed Singh while it investigates the allegations against him, which also include financial mismanagement and administrative failings. Singh, a politician for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, was accused of sexually harassing women wrestlers at national training camps.
Head of the WFI for over a decade, the 66-year old refused to resign, and alleged there was a conspiracy against him. “It took a lot of courage to come out in this manner and organise a protest. But I know of several wrestlers who have told me that the WFI president sexually exploited them,” Phogat told RFI. “This is serious and needs resolution at the earliest.” Many said they would not take part in any tournaments until action was taken and the wrestling federation was disbanded.
Punia, who won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics, said the protest was to save the future of the sport and the future of women wrestlers. “Many are treated shabbily and badly by the Federation,” Punia told RFI. The wrestlers did not reveal the identity of the athletes making the harassment allegations. In an open letter to India’s Olympic Association, they referred to complaints by “several young wrestlers”.
