New Delhi: Pehlwan Vinesh Phogat revealed on Sunday that she is one of the six women wrestlers who have accused the former Wrestling Federation of India chief. Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of sexual harassment.The announcement comes days before his return to the ranking tournament at Garh Gonda in Brijbhushan, his first appearance in almost 20 months after coming out of retirement in December last year.Vinesh, a two-time world championship medalist and three-time Olympian, had not previously identified herself publicly, citing ongoing legal proceedings. In a 4-minute, 22-second Instagram video, he said “certain circumstances” forced him to speak out even though the case was pending.“The Supreme Court guidelines say that no victim should be identified … but today, due to certain circumstances, I want to tell you something,” Vinesh said, adding, “I myself am one of the six victims who have filed a complaint, and our testimony is still going on.”Vinesh has also raised serious concerns about the fairness and venue of the upcoming competition, alleging that it is being held at the Braj Bhushan stronghold and an affiliated institution.
He said that it is very difficult for a woman to compete in such a situation. “He has his own private college, and this competition is being held there… It’s almost impossible for every hard-working athlete to get his due.”WFI president Sanjay Singh said the venue of the National Open Ranking Tournament in Gonda would not be changed and a “personal guarantee” would be offered for its safety.Vinesh, who won Haryana’s Jolana seat on a Congress ticket in 2024, is now a legislator as well.Emphasizing transparency about the venue, he said: “If anything untoward happens to me, my team or supporters, the Indian government will be responsible”.He alleged that officiating and scoring could be influenced by people loyal to Singh.Who will referee whose match, how many points will the referee give… all this will be under the control of Brij Bhushan and his people. And the government and our sports ministry are watching it as silent spectators,” added Vinesh.“If Vinesh is worried about his safety, I assure him that I am taking his personal guarantee. Also, we have UWW-approved referees who work and all trial bouts are recorded, so there is no chance of any bias,” Sanjay Singh told PTI. “And let me add that it’s an open tournament that’s not mandatory. It’s his choice to compete.” We are not going to change location,” said Singh.Vinesh was a central figure in the 2023 Jantar Mantar protests, where the country’s top female wrestlers accused Brij Bhushan of intimidation and sexual harassment and demanded accountability from the WFI. The case against Brij Bhushan, who has denied all the charges, is ongoing in court and the victim’s testimony is still being recorded. When contacted, Singh refused to comment, saying the matter was under judicial consideration.Her comeback tournament, the National Open Ranking scheduled from May 10 to 12 in Gonda, is part of the Senior Open Ranking Series and will see her compete in the 57 kg category. The event serves as a pathway for wrestlers to enter the national camp and claim the Asian Games trials.
