IOA President PT Usha slams wrestlers for protesting on the streets; wrestlers hit back for "insensitive comments"
IOA president PT Usha said that the wrestlers should have approached the IOA earlier instead of going out in the streets against WFI chief Brijbhushan Sharan Singh, who the wrestlers accused of sexual harassment and mismanagement of athletes.
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New Delhi, April 28: The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president PT Usha said on Thursday that the wrestlers should have approached the IOA earlier instead of going out in the streets against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and its president Brijbhushan Sharan Singh, who the wrestlers accused of sexual harassment and mismanagement of athletes.
"Indian Olympic Association (IOA) is having a committee for sexual harassment, instead of going to the streets they (protesting wrestlers) could have come to us earlier but they did not come to IOA. It is not good for sports not only for wrestlers, they should also have some discipline," said Usha to the media.
Indian Olympic Association (IOA) is having a committee for sexual harassment, instead of going to the streets they (protesting wrestlers) could have come to us earlier but they didn't come to IOA. It isn't good for Sports not only for wrestlers, they should also have some… pic.twitter.com/EaeHQOE4rI
— ANI (@ANI) April 27, 2023
Over the previous four days, the wrestlers have slept and trained at the protest location.
Hitting back at PT Usha for "insensitive comments", top wrestlers have expressed hurt.
"Being a woman athlete, she (PT Usha) is not listening to other women athletes. We have followed her since childhood and got inspired by her. Where is indiscipline here, we are sitting here peacefully.." Sakshi Malik told mediapersons.
Vinesh Phogat, the CWG and World Championships medalist also called Usha's comments as "insensitive".
"We live as per the constitution and are independent citizens. We can go anywhere. If we are sitting out in the streets, there must be some reason, a reason that nobody listened to us, be it IOA or Sports Ministry. Her saying this is insensitive. I even called her, but she did not pick up my phone," said Vinesh.
#WATCH | PT Usha has been our icon. We felt hurt by what she said. I want to ask her - when her academy was being demolished and she had raised her concerns on social media, then was that not tarnishing India's image?: Olympian wrestler Bajrang Punia pic.twitter.com/X6P9xumba2
— ANI (@ANI) April 28, 2023
Bajrang Punia, the Olympic medalist also said, "You feel sad when she says these things because she is the IOA Chief and a woman herself, she cried for her academy in front of the media. She wants us to approach IOA, but we went there three months back, but no justice was given."