NewDelhi: Olympic gold medal-winning javelin star Neeraj Chopra has spoken up for the top Indian wrestlers protesting at the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi for action against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. Wrestlers are demanding action against WFI president, who has been accused of sexual harassment and intimidation by the grapplers.
Neeraj Chopra released a statement on his social media account supporting wrestlers like Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and Sakski Malik. “It hurst me to see our athletes on the streets demanding justice. They have worked hard to represent our great nation and make us proud. As a nation, we are responsible for safeguarding the integrity and dignity of every individual, athlete or not,” Neeraj Chopra wrote in the statement.
“What’s happening should never happen. This is a sensitive issue, and must be dealt with in an impartial and transparent manner. Pertaining authorities must take quick action in order to ensure that justice is served,” Neeraj Chopra added.
Abhinav Bindra has also backed the wrestlers
Earlier, another Indian Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra also took to social media to announce his solidarity with the athletes. Bindra, who has always voiced his opinion in favour of distressed sportspersons, took to Twitter to term the incident ‘deeply concerning’.
“As athletes, we train hard every day to represent our country on the international stage. It is deeply concerning to see our athletes finding it necessary to protest on the streets regarding the allegations of harassment in the Indian wrestling administration,” Bindra tweeted.
Bindra said that all the concerns raised by top wrestlers should be addressed by the administration. “My heart goes out to all those who have been affected. We must ensure that this issue is handled properly, with the athletes’ concerns heard and addressed fairly and independently. This incident highlights the crucial need for a proper safeguarding mechanism that can prevent harassment and ensure justice for those affected. We must work towards creating a safe and secure environment for all athletes to thrive in,” he added.
However, Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President PT Usha on Thursday said the grapplers lacked discipline as they hit the streets to resume their protest against WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh instead of approaching them. “Our feeling is that for sexual harassment complaints, IOA has a committee and athletes’ commission. Instead of going to the street (again), they should have come to us, but they have not at all come to IOA,” Usha told reporters after the sports body’s executive committee meeting.
The Supreme Court will hear the matter on Friday. The Delhi Police had told the apex court that the matter requires a preliminary enquiry before they could proceed with the filing of an FIR against Brij Bhushan.
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