NEW DELHI: India’s top wrestlers Olympic medalists Bajrang Punia, and Sakshi Malik, and Asian Games gold medalist Vinesh Phogat who were protesting against sexual harassment have decided to approach Olympic medalists and athletes from other countries, and they warned that if their demand for the arrest of former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh is not met, then huge protest will be made after May 21.
2018 Jakarta Asian Games gold medalist Vinesh Phogat said,” “We will make this protest global. We will approach Olympians and Olympic medallists in other countries. We will write to them asking them for their support,”
He further said, “Some people tried to disrupt our protest. The last time it happened was when we were bringing our bedding at the protest site (at the start of the agitation).”
Vinesh also revealed,” “We are being stalked. People make recordings and click photos… and when we tell them (to stop), they do not listen. Some unknown people (women) also tried to sleep here (inside the tent put up by wrestlers).”
Olympic medalists Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik, as well as Asian Games gold medalist Vinesh Phogat, have been protesting at Jantar Mantar in Delhi for the past 23 days, demanding Brij Bhushan's arrest for allegedly sexually abusing women grapplers, including a youngster.
Moreover, Union Minister Anurag Thakur urged protesting wrestlers to end their protest and requested to have faith in law and order. Addressing the media Anurag Thakur said,” The committee was formed, and their concerns were also heard. An ad-hoc committee has been formed to start the day-to-day work of the Wrestling Federation by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). Trials have also started for athletes. They should end the protest and wait for the investigation to complete.”
Recently, the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports announced that the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) will form an ad hoc committee to conduct elections for the Executive Committee of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) within 45 days of its formation, to manage the body's day-to-day affairs, including the selection of athletes and making entries for players to participate in international events.
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