IOA chief PT Usha terms wrestlers' protest as 'gross indiscipline'

The legendary Indian athlete also accused them of tarnishing the country's image.

PT Usha has come out slamming the actions of some of India’s most decorated wrestlers who are protesting on the streets, demanding action in regard to the allegations of sexual misconduct by Wrestling Federation of India’s (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. 

World Championships medallist Vinesh Phogat and Olympic medallists Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia are among the wrestlers who are protesting for several days asking for transparency in the investigation and action against the WFI chief and officials accused of sexual misconduct against women wrestlers.

The high-profile wrestlers resumed their sit-in after the oversight committee did not reveal the findings from an investigation into the serious allegations. Reportedly, the committee submitted its findings on April 5 but the sports ministry did not make the findings public and did not take any action against Singh, who is at the receiving end of the serious allegations.

PT Usha’s statement

PT Usha, the Indian Olympic Association president, criticised the actions of the wrestlers, terming it as “gross indiscipline”. She was quoted as saying, “This amounts to gross indiscipline and tarnishing the image of the country. It sets a bad precedent. Instead of hitting the streets, the wrestlers should have come to the IOA's Athletes Commission. The commission is headed by MC Mary Kom (the legendary boxer) as chairperson and Achanta Sharath Kamal (the legendary table tennis player) as vice-chairperson."

Bajrang Punia’s response

The statement came as a shock to the wrestlers who are already standing up to the authorities and putting their careers on the line. Bajrang Punia, in response to PT Usha’s statement to reporters, said, “She herself was an athlete and she is also a woman. We did not expect this harsh reaction from her, we expected support."

“If IOA thinks wrestlers demanding justice is tarnishing the image of the country, what was that when she broke down and explained her plight after being harassed by a few goons at her academy? What happened then?," he enquired referring to the recent incident where Usha broke down while talking about facing harassment at her academy back in Kerala.

IOA Joint Secretary Kalyan Chaubey's opinion

Adding to what PT Usha said to reporters, Kalyan Chaubey, who is All India Football Federation's president and IOA's joint secretary cum acting CEO said, "Our honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been doing so much for sports and then you have these wrestlers sitting on the streets and protesting. This sets a bad precedent."