Congress MLA from Julana and former Olympian (wrestler) Vinesh Phogat has again raised questions over the safety of women sportspersons, saying athletes can’t be expected to participate and excel at the Olympics when sports federations are influenced by people accused of misconduct against women.
Her remark came in response to a post by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), quoting PM Narendra Modi as saying that India does not participate in nearly half of the sports at the Olympics and therefore misses out on competing for a substantial share of the available medals. “...this has been going on for decades,” the PMO quoted Modi as saying in a post on X.
Addressing athletes through video-conferencing during the Khelo India Dialogue, the PM called for developing ecosystems in disciplines, such as surfing, sport climbing, water and winter sports.
Replying to the post on X, Phogat wrote, “Prime Minister ji, how will (they) participate when the federations in which (they are) participating have goons, criminals and people who exploit women...” She accused the ruling party of supporting such people.
In the post, she alleged that women sportspersons would find it difficult to compete freely if individuals accused of exploiting women continued to wield influence within sporting institutions.
{{/usCountry}}In the post, she alleged that women sportspersons would find it difficult to compete freely if individuals accused of exploiting women continued to wield influence within sporting institutions.
{{/usCountry}}Her comments come against the backdrop of the controversy surrounding the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and allegations of sexual harassment levelled by several women wrestlers against its former president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. The allegations led to a prolonged protests by some leading wrestlers, including Phogat, in New Delhi in 2023.