As a member of the Olympic Athletes Commission and India’s first individual Olympic gold medalist in shooting, Abhinav Bindra voiced his support for the wrestlers protesting against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) head Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over charges of sexual harassment. Bindra expressed sympathy for the athletes’ need to speak out against harassment in the Indian wrestling organisation in a tweet on Wednesday. He emphasised the critical requirement for a safe and secure environment for all athletes to thrive in and urged for an appropriate safeguarding framework that can stop harassment and ensure justice for those impacted.
Indian wrestlers Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, and Bajrang Punia, among many others, have been sleeping and practising at the protest site for the past four days. Phogat, Punia, and Malik were there when the wrestlers performed a candle march to Jantar Mantar in the nation’s capital on Wednesday. Malik pleaded with Prime Minister Modi and Smriti Irani to pay attention to their Mann Ki Baat, claiming that no FIR had been initiated following the wrestlers’ Friday filing of a complaint against the WFI and its head. She expressed the wrestlers’ faith in the Supreme Court to uphold their rights.
A preliminary investigation would be required before filing a FIR against WFI president Brij Bhushan Singh over claims of sexual harassment, Delhi Police argued in a submission to the Supreme Court on Wednesday. On Tuesday, the wrestler appealed an urgent hearing on a petition seeking the registration of a FIR against WFI president Brij Bhushan. The court responded by sending notice to Delhi Police. The court took notice of the significant accusations made in the petition by Indian wrestlers.
The protest of the wrestlers and the response of the authorities underscore the critical requirement for a suitable safeguarding system to stop harassment and guarantee justice for those impacted. The ability to train and compete in a hostile-free environment should be provided to athletes. Support from well-known individuals, such as Abhinav Bindra, is essential in bringing these issues to light and ensuring that athletes’ concerns are heard and properly and impartially addressed.