Wrestlers want IOA to form probe panel to look into allegations

The agitating wrestlers on Friday reached out to the Indian Olympic Association IOA demanding formation of an enquiry committee to probe the allegations of sexual harassment against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh a day after threatening to lodge multiple FIRs against the WFI PresidentIn a letter addressed to IOA President PT Usha the wrestlers alleged financial misappropriation of funds on part of the WFI and claimed that the coaches and sports science staff at the National camp are absolutely incompetentPutting forward four demands the wresters wrote We request the Indian Olympic Association IOA to immediately appoint a committee to enquire into the complaints of sexual harassmentThe wrestlers also reiterated their demand that WFI be disbanded and its President be sackedA new committee should be formed to run the affairs of WFI in consultation with the wrestlers they wrote in their fourth and last demandThe letter has been signed by five wrestlers Tokyo Olympics medallists Ravi Dahiya and Bajrang Punia Rio Games bronze winner Sakshi Malik and World Championship medallists Vinesh Phogat and Deepak PuniaFurther in their letter the celebrated athletes pleaded It has taken a lot of courage for us wrestlers to come together and protest against the WFI President We fear for our lives If he is not sacked then the careers of all the young who joined the dharna will be overThey ended the letter by writing that we will not budge until the WFI President is sackedAlso readWrestlers protest Protesters write to IOA chief PT Usha on alleged sexual harassmentBeijing Olympics bronze medallist boxer and now a Congress leader Vijender Singh also reached the protest site at Jantar Mantar showing solidarity with the wrestlersVinesh Phogat had on Thursday said that more woman wrestlers have come forward with their stories of sexual exploitation and they will file multiple FIRs against the WFI PresidentThey met government officials during the day and later had a dinner meeting with Sports Minister Anurag Thakur at his residence after being called for discussion on the raging issueHowever both the meetings remained inconclusive with the wrestlers adamant that WFI be dissolved immediately while the government requested them to end their protest They are scheduled to meet Thakur on Friday for a second round of discussionThe government has given WFI President 72 hours till Saturday evening to respond to the allegationsMeanwhile Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh while speaking to media in UP said he wont resign because his position was not at someones mercyWhen told that wrestlers have said that if they bring everything in public domain it will cause an earthquake the WFI President said if he will open his mouth reveal secrets it will cause a tsunamiThe BJP MP and sports minister will address the media later in the eveningThe WFI also announced that the senior open national ranking tournament scheduled to be held in Gonda UP from January 2123 will be held as planned and requested all wrestlers to come and competeThis 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