Vinesh Phogat an Indian wrestle accuses the WFI chief of sexual assault.
After a prominent Indian wrestler accused the president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and other instructors of sexually abusing female wrestlers for years, protests in India grew more intense.
At least ten female wrestlers allegedly admitted to Vinesh Phogat that WFI president Brij Bhushan Singh had sexually exploited them.
She made the claims during a demonstration against WFI on Wednesday in Delhi’s capital city.
The claims have been refuted by Mr. Singh.
However, Phogat and other female athletes declared that they would boycott international competitions unless Mr. Singh was fired.
Additionally, they have resisted ending their protest until the government takes action to address their issues. India’s sports ministry requested a response to the accusations from WFI by Wednesday.
One of India’s most accomplished female wrestlers, Phogat holds medals from the Asian, Commonwealth, and World Championships.
The 28-year-old, who comes from a line of professional female wrestlers, is also a prominent opponent of discriminatory attitudes toward women in sports. In 2021, she spoke to BBC Sports on how she defied gender stereotypes to become a great professional athlete despite encountering sexism as a child.
Phogat said that some of the WFI coaches assigned to national training camps had been “sexually harassing women wrestlers for years” at the protest held at the Jantar Mantar historic site on Wednesday.
She said, They bother us too much. They meddle with our intimate affairs and relationships.
Phogat asserted that she had not personally experienced harassment but claimed.
Protests have intensified in India after a top Indian athlete accused the chief of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and other coaches of sexually harassing women wrestlers for years.
The 28-year-old, who comes from a long history of successful female wrestlers, is a well-known opponent of gender.
