Wrestlers vs WFI: IOA forms 7-member committee to probe sexual allegations against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Friday formed a seven-member committee to probe the allegations of sexual harassment against WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

Mary Kom, Dola Banerjee, Alaknanda Ashok, Yogeshwar Dutt, and Sahdev Yadav (IOA member) are among the seven members of the IOA committee. The committee had a detailed meeting and sources in IOA are suggesting that they will call all the concerned parties as part of the investigation.

Wrestlers protesting sexual harassment allegations against WFI President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh wrote to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Friday, demanding the formation of an inquiry committee to investigate the allegations.

The wrestlers accused the WFI of financial misappropriation (of funds) and claimed that the coaches and sports science staff at the National camp are “absolutely incompetent” in a letter to IOA President PT Usha.

The wrestlers made four demands in their letter: “We request the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to immediately appoint a committee to investigate the complaints of sexual harassment.”

Wrestlers also demanded that the WFI be disbanded and its President be fired.

“A new committee should be formed to run the affairs of WFI in consultation with the wrestlers,” they wrote in their fourth and last demand.

The wrestlers pleaded further in their letter, “It took a lot of guts for us wrestlers to band together and protest the WFI President. We are afraid for our lives. If he is not fired, the careers of all the young people who participated in the dharna will be over.”

They ended the letter by writing that “we will not budge until the WFI President is sacked.

Vinesh Phogat stated that more female wrestlers have come forward with stories of sexual exploitation and that they will file multiple FIRs against the WFI President.

They met with government officials during the day and later met with Sports Minister Anurag Thakur at his residence for dinner after being summoned to discuss the raging issue.

However, both meetings were inconclusive, with the wrestlers insisting that the WFI be dissolved immediately and the government requesting that they end their protest. They are scheduled to meet Thakur for a second round on Friday.

The government has given the WFI President 72 hours (till Saturday evening) to respond to the allegations.