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Sack Wrestling Body Chief, Say Athletes, He Remains Defiant: 10 Points

The wrestlers say they will not settle at anything less than resignation of the WFI president.

There is no question of resigning, said Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

New Delhi: The protesting wrestlers are insistent that the wrestling body chief be sacked immediately in the wake of #MeToo allegations, saying they "fear for their lives". However, the chief had doubled down and denied all charges, adding he won't resign.

Here are the top points in this big story:

  1. "If I speak, there will be a tsunami... I am not here because of someone's help, I have been elected by the people," Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh told reporters in Uttar Pradesh's Gonda, underscoring that he is not going to resign. He said he will address a press conference at 4 PM today

  2. Sports Minister Anurag Thakur dialled Mr Singh, and cautioned him against making any statement to media as it will further complicate the situation with wrestlers.  

  3. Anurag Thakur, who met the protesting wrestlers for four hours (10pm-2am) without any headway yesterday, is set to meet the grapplers again today.  

  4. Ahead of the meeting, the wrestlers have sent a letter to PT Usha, head of Indian Olympic body, seeking action against Mr Singh.

  5. "Vinesh Phogat was mentally harassed and tortured by the WFI chief after she missed out on an Olympic medal in Tokyo. She almost contemplated suicide," the wrestlers wrote in their letter to Ms Usha, adding that "they fear for their lives".

  6. Vinesh Phogat has agreed to reveal the identity of the victims to India Olympic Association committee.

  7. Celebrated Indian wrestlers, including Olympic medallist Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik besides Vinesh Phogat and others are staging a sit-in protest for the last two days at Jantar Mantar against the WFI president, accusing him of sexual exploitation and intimidation and have demanded that the federation be disbanded.

  8. The Sports Ministry has urged the protesters to wait as it has sought a response from the federation. The wrestlers' body would file its reply by 3 PM today.

  9. Earlier on Wednesday, the centre had made it clear that if the WFI does not respond in the next three days, the sports ministry "will proceed to initiate action against the federation in terms of the provisions of the National Sports Development Code, 2011."

  10. "Unfortunately we did not get a satisfactory response. Yesterday, we had 1-2 victims amongst us but now we have 5-6 wrestlers, who were harassed (sexually). We can't name them now, after all they are daughters and sisters of somebody. But if we are forced to disclose their identity, it will be a black day," said Vinesh, a two-time World Championship medallist, on Thursday afternoon while speaking to the media.



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