We have not trained for 19 days, it is a big loss to our careers: Bajrang Punia

Vinayak Padmadeo

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New Delhi, May 11

Daily interactions with hundreds of supporters are taking a toll on elite athletes Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat.

When they should be preparing seriously for the upcoming trials for a spot in the Asian Games squad, the elite grapplers have been sitting on a dharna. The wrestlers have been here for 19 days, demanding action against BJP MP and WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

Bajrang confessed that the wrestlers have only started training again, expressing sadness that they have had to leave the only thing that they love doing in their fight to get justice in the alleged sexual harassment case against Singh.

I do not know why she (Seema Antil) is saying all these things as she is an athlete. Who is damaging sports, us or Brij Bhushan? We are sitting here peacefully and we have already announced that the IOA-appointed ad hoc committee should run all competitions. We respect her for her achievements but one has to be mindful of what they are saying in public.

We welcome the decision to allot the women’s camp to Patiala. We are protesting what happened in Lucknow. All we want is that the camps should be held at a place with better facilities

Bajrang Punia

“We are sad that we are not training but this fight is for truth and justice,” Bajrang said. “We have been here for 19 days and we get strength from the fact that people are supporting us. If we return today, women who have raised their voices against sexual harassment will back down again,” he added.

Bhushan has already said our careers are over but whenever it comes to medals, we are the only hope. We are sad as athletes (that we can’t train). There are the Asian Games and the Olympics qualifiers to look forward to. Both are big tournaments and this was the time to prepare,” he added.

“We have not trained well for 19 days now as we have to sit here all day. It is a big loss to our career. All those athletes sitting here are facing the same thing. This is precisely the reason why we are not calling other athletes as we don’t want to hurt their careers,” he added.

Phones tapped

The Tokyo Olympics bronze medal winner further alleged that the wrestlers’ and their supporters’ phones are being tapped by the authorities. Talking about how they were being made to feel like criminals, Bajrang said that even those who are in contact with the wrestlers, including journalists, are under the scanner.

“Our phones are being tapped. We are being treated as if we have committed a crime. Whoever is in touch with us, their phones are also being tapped. Look at these barricades. Have you seen such barricades where the protesters have been surrounded like this?” Bajrang said.

New selection committees

The ad hoc panel formed by the IOA to run the day-to-day affairs of the WFI has announced the selection committees for the freestyle, Greco-Roman and women’s categories. The freestyle team will be selected by the ad hoc panel’s head Bhupender Singh Bajwa, who is the wushu federation president, wrestling coach Jagmander Singh and former wrestler Ramesh Kumar Gulia. The Greco-Roman and women’s teams will be selected by former shooter and ad hoc panel member Suma Shirur, wrestling coach Mahasingh Rao and former wrestlers Neha Rathi and Alka Tomar.

NHRC issues notice to federations

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sent notices to the Sports Ministry, the BCCI, the SAI and many national sports federations for not having an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) as per the law to address complaints of sexual harassment. Among the NSFs that have been asked to submit a written report in four weeks’ time are the bodies running handball, volleyball, basketball, weightlifting, yachting, gymnastics, table tennis, billiards and snooker, kayaking and canoeing, judo, squash, triathlon, kabaddi, badminton and archery.