Indian wrestler par excellence, Vinesh Phogat, revealed that the grapplers have misplaced religion within the Oversight Committee arrange to probe into the sexual allegation complaints launched in opposition to former WFI chief and BJP member Brijbushan Sharan Singh.
Phogat stated that her calls to the sports activities minister, Anurag Thakur and the top of the oversight committee, headed by legendary Indian boxer MC Mary Kom went unanswered.
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“Why is there secrecy over the findings of the Oversight Committee and the details about how they went about the probe?” Phogat said.
“Women wrestlers have shown the courage to speak about what they faced but it seems like their words don’t matter. We have raised a very sensitive issue which concerns the safety of women wrestlers. We have lost faith in the committee.” the triple CWG gold medallist said.
Phogat also elucidated how the early assurances given by the oversight committee also went unfulfilled.
“We received some assurances from the government but they were not fulfilled too. We do not know the status of the report filed by the committee as well. Every time we ask what is the status and finding of the Oversight Committee report, there is no response from anyone,” Phogat stated.
Phogat expressed that repeated makes an attempt by herself and ace wrestler Bajrang Punia to attain the oversight committee went with out reply.
“We tried to speak to sports minister Anurag Thakur, but there was no response from him. I tried two to three times, and Bajrang did too. We tried calling members of the committee, including its head Mary Kom. But she did not take our calls. We don’t know who will give us justice?” Phogat questioned.
Phogat stated that if the discoveries of the oversight committee weren’t made public and if the wrestlers’ testimonies weren’t given significance, the wrestlers haven’t different alternative however to method the courtroom.
“We are left with no other option but to approach the court in our fight for justice. Stepping back is not an option now,” Phogat added.
Besides MC Mary Kom, Olympic medallist-wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt, former badminton participant Trupti Murgunde, former TOPS CEO Rajesh Rajagopalan, and former SAI govt director Radhica Sreeman, are the members that make up the Oversight Committee.
Phogat was additionally infuriated by the very fact the National Senior Ranking Wrestling Tournament for Women and Greco Roman, slated to be held from April 16 to 18, was set to happen at Nandini Nagar in Gonda, a Brijbhushan stronghold.
“Of all the places in India, no other venue was available for a tournament for women?” Phogat questioned the decision to hold the tournament in Gonda.
“I can give names of possible venues in Punjab, Haryana and Delhi where the tournament could have been conducted,” the 28-year-old said.
“Nandini Nagar in Gonda was chosen despite us saying what all had happened to women wrestlers earlier. How can this even happen?”
“When I saw that the venue of the senior ranking tournament was in Gonda, I did try to reach members of the Oversight Committee. But nobody seems to have any answer,” stated Phogat.
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Phogat opined that despite stepping aside from his role at the head of the WFI, Brijbushan was still pulling the strings from the background.
“He was sidelined just for show, internally he was involved in everything and all the decisions being taken were his. Be it trials or camps or selection of coaches,” the wrestler from Balali stated.
“Whether it was for political causes or to idiot us, we don’t know. We positioned our belief within the authorities. Unfortunately, it feels the Oversight Committee haven’t been impartial. The committee is beneath the sports activities ministry.”
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