New Delhi:Days after an ugly spat between the protesting wrestlers and the former legendary athlete, Indian Olympic Association President PT Usha Wednesday went to meet the aggrieved women wrestlers at the capital's Jantar Mantar. The wrestlers' protest entered its 11th day on Wednesday.
Earlier, PT Usha, in a media interaction, tried to school the protesting wrestlers asking them to be disciplined instead of participating in protests on the streets and not to humiliate the country. This did not go down well with the wrestlers.
Sakshi Malik said that they felt 'hurt' by her comment. "She is not supporting us despite being a woman herself. We are sitting here peacefully. If we had got justice, we would not have come here to protest," she had said. Vinesh Phogat alleged she had earlier dialled Usha to discuss their matter, but she did not get any reply.
The former track-and-field icon left without speaking to media gathered at the protest site but Punia told reporters later she had vowed support. "PT Usha met us and assured her support. She said she is first an athlete and then an administrator. She assured she will help us in getting justice."
"PT Usha said she was misinterpreted," Punia, an Olympic medal-winning athlete, said on her comment about the protesting wrestlers' lack of discipline.
PT Usha's visit comes days after she declared the wrestlers' public display amounted to 'indiscipline' and that their actions were 'tarnishing image of India'. She also criticised them for not first coming to the IOA and not waiting for the results of an inquiry into their claims against Brij Bhushan Singh.
"IOA is having a committee for sexual harassment. Instead of going to the streets they (the protesting wrestlers) could have come to us earlier... but they did not come to IOA. It is not good for sports... not only for wrestlers, they should also have some discipline," she had said.
The wrestlers had earlier held another round of protest at the beginning of the year alleging sexual harassment charges against Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan Singh. Union Minister Anurag Thakur had then assured the wrestlers that an independent probe will be done against Singh. Subsequently, an oversight committee was formulated under the chairmanship of PT Usha. This led to the wrestlers calling off their protest.
However, in the second round of protest the wrestlers said that the findings of the report were never made public. On Tuesday, star wrestler Vinesh Phogat alleged that Anurag Thakur tried to suppress the matter by forming the committee and taking no action against the WFI chief.
