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Journalism of Courage
On the day an ad-hoc committee took over wrestling administration, Indian Olympic Association president PT Usha said sportspersons “protesting on the streets” amounted to indiscipline and were tarnishing the image of the country. This came after Sports Minister Anurag Thakur had insisted that “Prime Minister Narendra Modiji’s govt has always stood with players” and “sports and athletes are their priority”.
Speaking to reporters after the IOA’s Executive Committee meeting that nominated Wushu Association of India president Bhupendra Singh Bajwa, former shooter Suma Shirur and a retired High Court judge to run the wrestling body and hold elections, Usha said: “The IOA has an athletes’ commission. Instead of going on the streets,they couldhave come tous. The wrestlers themselves suggested anad-hoc
committee and we have formed one.”
The IOA president said the protesting wrestlers should have approached the IOA before escalating the matter.
“They should have come to us. If they didn’t get a solution, they could have gone everywhere. Straightaway going to the streets is not good for sports. We don’t want any problems with our sportspersons. We want our athletes to participate in the Asian Games.
“This kind of agitation is not good for the country’s image and amounts to indiscipline. This negative publicity is not good for the country. We want to be with any athlete who has represented India, but under the rules, regulations and law ofthe land.”
Sports minister Thakur said the government has always stood with athletes. “We wanted an independent probe. Anyone who wanted to speak in front of the oversight committee, was given the chance to speak. There was no restriction. The time period of the probe increased because of them, we allowed that. There were 14 meetings of the oversight committee. Police has said it will do a preliminary enquiry before lodging FIR,” he said.
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The statements made by the former sprint queen didn’t go well with the wrestlers protesting at Jantar Mantar. “I am extremely disappointed with PT Usha making such statements, being a woman and former athlete. It’s unfortunate that as a woman she is not able to understand the pain these women are undergoing,” Olympic medallist Bajrang Punia said.
‘Looked up to ma’am’ Rio Olympics medallist Sakshi Malik too sounded disappointed by Usha’s comments. “I have always looked upto to PT Usha ma’am and idolised her, but today I feel disappointed and let down by her statements. It is unfortunate that she couldn’t understand the feelings of fellow women athletes. As athletes, we don’t have an iota of indiscipline in our blood. We win medals and bring honour to the country only because we are disciplined,” she said.
World Championship medallist Vinesh Phogat said that instead of chastising the wrestlers, the IOA should have come to them to listen to their grievances. “We are not on the streets, we are on the soil of India. It is our democratic right to protest. If you feel it is “indiscipline” or insulting, why don’t come here and solve our problems?” she asked.
When asked about the findings of the committee to look into the allegations of sexual harassment levelled against Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, All India Football Federation president Kalyan Chaubey,who addressed the media alongwith Usha, said the investigation was still on.
“The ad-hoc committee has got a list of witnesses, who will be invited to depose before it,” he said.
Vinesh responded by saying that the list with the IOA would include those who Singh would want. “They didn’t talk to us all this while, before we sat in on our protest. Brij Bhushan’s people have been made witnesses. We also have witnesses, athletes and coaches, please make them witnesses too. We only trust the Supreme Court.”
Chaubey said the probe panel formed with boxing legend MC Mary Kom as its head was a “very good committee”. “It has very dependable and renowned individuals. If we canhave alittlepatience,because the seare very serious allegations…We cannot make any decisions in haste. We have to see what comes out ofthis committee.”
