WFI rejects wrestlers' allegations in reply to government

The Wrestling Federation of India WFI has rejected all the allegations including that of sexual harassment against its president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and claimed that the wrestlers protest was motivated by a hidden agenda to dislodge the current managementThe WFI denied all the charges in its response to the governments notice and asserted that there is no scope for arbitrariness and mismanagement in the federationThe Sports Ministry had sought an explanation from WFI after the countrys top wrestlers sat on a dharna and alleged that the federation chief sexually harassed women wrestlers and acts like a dictator The WFI sent its reply on Friday evening and few hours later the wrestlers called off their protest after the government announced that it will form an oversight committee to probe the charges It also said the WFI chief will step aside till the investigation is overThe WFI is managed by an elected body as per its constitution and therefore there is no scope for arbitrariness and mismanagement in WFI by any one individually including the president the WFI said in its response to the Sports Ministry The WFI in particular under the sitting president has always acted keeping the best interests of wrestlers in mindThe WFI has enhanced the image of wrestling sport nationally as well as internationally and for the record of this ministry it is not possible without fair supportive clean and strict management of WFI it addedThe allegations were made by renowned wrestlers Vinesh Phogat Bajrang Punia Sakshi Malik and Ravi DahiyaAlso read Wrestlers want IOA to form probe panel to look into sexual harassment allegations against WFI PresidentThe federation brought to the notice of the government that it has a fivemember sexual harassment committee in place chaired by its secretary general VN Prasood and which also has Sakshi as a memberIt said the charges were motivated biased unfounded untrue and false and that the allegations were made solely with a view to harm the president the WFI and its coaches Any aggrieved personwrestler may approach the said committee for its grievances if any and the committee is bound to inquire as per law However no such complaint of any such nature as has been received from the protestorswrestlers the WFI wroteThe wrestlers including young Anshu Malik Sangeeta Phogat and Sonam Malik among others started a sitin protest at Jantar Mantar here on Wednesday and demanded the sacking of the WFI chief The wrestlers also demanded that the WFI be disbanded immediately and a new panel is formed including grapplersThe WFI listed 23 national events conducted in 2022 and claimed it speaks of fair supportive clean and strict management The WFI questioned the timing of the protest and said vested interests are behind itwho have evidently acted more in personal interest or under undue pressure or under any bigger conspiracy to malign and defame the present management of the WFI or president for vested interest only The protesting wrestlers are accountable to explain for themselves to the public as well as the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports particularly when mostly the protestors are seen coming together from a particulars regionstate of Haryana the federation wroteIt would also be worth drawing attention that even the next election of WFI is due in near future of 2023 that the protest is not in the best interest of the wrestlers it has some personal as well as hidden agenda to dislodge the current management of WFIThe letter signed by WFI secretary general V N Prasood also said that the federation is ready to cooperate with the government and will provide all the necessary information the ministry seeksThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever