Wrestlers vs WFI chief: IOA's decision to take charge of WFI first step in our fight for justice - Grapplers
Indian wrestlers have still not given up on their protests against WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. Meanwhile, with IOA's ad-hoc panel taking control of WFI, the protesting grapplers have called it their first step to justice.
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FollowThe protesting wrestlers on Sunday termed the Indian Olympic Association's (IOA) decision to take charge of all the activities of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) as the "first step" in their fight against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the former WFI chief. The country's top wrestlers, including Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat, have been protesting at the Jantar Mantar for the last 22 days, demanding the arrest of Brij Bhushan for his alleged sexual harassment of women wrestlers.
The IOA, through its letter on May 12, asked the secretary general of WFI to hand over the official documents, including financial instruments, to its ad-hoc panel, making it clear the outgoing office bearers shall have no role in the running of the federation. The WFI said it has no issues obeying the IOA order since they already cooperated with the authorities.
"This [the dissolution of the current WFI] is the first step in our fight for justice. Our fight has begun in earnest. It's a victory for us, and we will continue or fight until we get justice," said Bajrang, the Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist. Asian Games gold medallist Vinesh Phogat rued that not a single ruling party's parliamentarian had met the wrestlers "to extend support in our fight for the dignity of women".
She said that from Monday onwards, the wrestlers would give letters by hand or via e-mail to all women parliamentarians of the ruling party to come and support them. "When they talk about the safety of women in the country, then we too are their daughters, and they should come out and support us," she said.
The IOA's three-member ad-hoc committee has made it clear that the process to elect new WFI office bearers will be completed within the 45-day time frame and that the charge will be handed back to the elected body. "Once the elections are held, the administrative powers will return to the WFI. The newly elected officials will run the show. It's just a temporary move that ad-hoc is managing the affairs of the federation," an official told PTI.
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