Top Indian Olympic wrestler, Vinesh Phogat cries as she accuses Wrestling federation president of sexually exploiting women wrestlers; claims she's received death threats

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Top Indian Olympic wrestler, Vinesh Phogat cries as she accuses Wrestling federation president of sexually exploiting women wrestlers; claims she's received death threats

Vinesh Phogat, India's top women's wrestler has alleged that Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh has been sexually exploiting women wrestlers for many years.

Vinesh, who has been at loggerheads with WFI since the Tokyo Olympic Games, also claimed that several coaches at the national camp in Lucknow, have also exploited women wrestlers, adding that there are a few women at the camp who approach wrestlers at the behest of the WFI President.

The 28-year-old Olympian on Wednesday, January 18 clarified that she herself never faced such exploitation but claimed that "one victim" was present at the 'dharna' they began at Jantar Mantar on Wednesday.

Top Indian Olympic wrestler, Vinesh Phogat cries as she accuses Wrestling federation president of sexually exploiting women wrestlers; claims she

Dharna in India is a mode of compelling payment or compliance, by sitting at the debtor's or offender's door until the demand is complied with

Vinesh says she was so disturbed that she along with Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist Bajrang Punia had even met Union Home Minister Amit Shah to complain about three months back.

"We had met the Home Minister and he had assured us that, 'you will get justice'," star wrestler Punia told PTI, adding that the 'sit-in' was their another attempt to highlight the prevailing issues in Indian wrestling.

Taking note of the allegations, the sports ministry says it will need an explanation from WFI and directed it to "furnish a reply within the next 72 hours on the allegations made".

The ministry said, "if WFI fails to furnish the reply within the next 72 hours, the Ministry will proceed to initiate action against the federation in terms of the provisions of the National Sports Development Code, 2011."

Due to the developments, the ministry has also cancelled the National camp, which was due to start SAI centre in in Lucknow from Wednesday.

Vinesh also claimed that she had received death threats at the behest of WFI President from officials close to him because she dared to draw Prime Minister Narendra Modi's attention to several issues plaguing Indian wrestling when she met him after the Tokyo Games.