WFI issue: Bajrang Poonia threatens another protest, wrestlers to move Court

New Delhi, April 9: Wrestlers will go to court to protest the report of the oversight committee appointed to investigate the matter and allegations made by prominent Indian wrestlers against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and its president Brijbhushan Sharan Singh, said ace Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia.

Punia, speaking exclusively to ANI, stated, "I read an article today in which one of the committee members said that the report has been supported to the Sports ministry without his signatures. The member also expressed his/her disagreement with the report. If a committee member is not involved in report submission and disagrees with the report, how are we supposed to trust it?"

"We were not even informed that the report was submitted to the ministry," he further said.

Punia also stated that the WFI should make public the statements made by female wrestlers in a sting operation to a private TV channel if it believes they are innocent, adding that people should be able to decide who is right and who is wrong.

The wrestler stated that they will start protesting again and will even go to the High Court as soon as possible.

"We have to carry on with our sport, but we will protest and go to the high court as soon as possible," Punia added.

Prominent Indian wrestlers, including Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, Ravi Dahiya, and Sakshi Malik, staged a sit-in protest in January this year at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar, demanding that Brij Bhushan be removed from the WFI's head office and the organisation be disbanded. They accused the WFI and its chairman of sexual harassment and mistreatment of wrestlers.

The Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports announced in January the formation of an 'oversight committee' to investigate allegations levelled against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), its chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, and other coaches. The committee was tasked with submitting a report to the ministry on the matter.

The Oversight Committee is led by Olympic medalist Mary Kom. The Mary Kom-led group also includes former wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt, former shuttler Trupti Murgunde, SAI member Radhica Sreeman, ex-CEO of the Target Olympic Podium Plan Rajesh Rajagopalan, and CWG gold medalist Babita Phogat.