IMAGE: Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat. Photograph: Atul Yadav/PTI from the Rediff Archives
Urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to “do something” to oust “oppressors” like Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh from Indian sports, the protesting duo of Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik on Tuesday denounced the IOA’s decision to hand back wrestling’s administrative control to the controversy-marred national federation.
In strongly-worded posts on X, the two wrestlers, who have accused Sharan Singh of sexually harassing women grapplers, called on the PM to intervene.
“The Prime Minister is a spin master, knows how to spin the issue by invoking ‘women power’ to counter the speeches of his rivals. Narendra Modi ji, let us also know the real truth of women power,” posted Phogat, who is bound for the Olympic qualifiers next month in the 50kg category.
“Brij Bhushan, who exploited women wrestlers, has again taken over wrestling. It is hoped that you (PM) will not just use women as shields, but will also do something to oust such oppressors from the sports institutions of the country,” the Asian Games gold medallist wrote.
Retired Olympic medallist Sakshi Malik too said that the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) office-bearers were acting as if they were above the law.
“History is witness to the fact that powerful people in this country have played with the honour of women for centuries.”
“…the rich miscreant is so powerful that he is above the government, the Constitution and the judiciary,” she alleged.
“After the government suspended the wrestling association, Brij Bhushan and Sanjay Singh kept giving statements that this suspension is just a show, we will be reinstated after a few days and we will have control over the wrestling association forever.”
“This proved to be true and this letter from the Indian Olympic Association officially confirmed this and proved that even in this new India, the age-old tradition of insulting women will continue.”
Their outburst comes a day after the Indian Olympic Association dissolved the ad-hoc committee, which was running wrestling in the country, and handed over the reins to WFI, led by Brij Bhushan’s close aide Sanjay Singh.
The IOA dissolved the panel, saying “there is no further need” for it to continue after revocation of the suspension on the WFI by United World Wrestling last month.
Phogat, Bajrang Punia and Malik have been protesting against Sanjay Singh, saying the culture of fear, which was there during Brij Bhushan’s tenure, will continue under him too.
