Wrestler Vinesh Phogat on Wednesday accused Wrestling Federation of India President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and other coaches of sexually harassing women wrestlers, reported The Indian Express.
“Some of the coaches appointed at national camps have been sexually harassing women wrestlers for years,” Phogat alleged. “The WFI [Wrestling Federation of India] president is also involved in sexual harassment.”
Singh, who is also a Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Uttar Pradesh’s Kaiserganj, has denied the accusations.
Phogat made the allegations during a protest against the functioning of the Wrestling Federation of India at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. Besides Phogat, some of India’s top wrestlers such as Sakshi Malik, Sangeeta Phogat, Bajrang Punia, Sonam Malik and Anshu were also present.
#Jantar mantar pic.twitter.com/calKOipydH
— Bajrang Punia 🇮🇳 (@BajrangPunia) January 18, 2023
Addressing reporters, Vinesh Phogat said that while she has not faced any harassment personally, she alleged that she had received death threats at Singh’s behest.
“I know at least 10-12 women wrestlers who have told me about the sexual exploitation they faced at the hands of the WFI president,” Vinesh Phogat said, according to PTI. “They told me their stories. I can’t take their names now but I can definitely reveal the names if we get to meet the prime minister and the home minister.”
खिलाड़ी आत्मसम्मान चाहता है…
