The age to deliver best performance is between 22 and 28, and these wrestlers are protesting because they are angry for not being able to bring Olympic medals, Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh said in a response to protest against him over “sexual exploitation and mental harassment” along with running the body in a “dictatorial” manner.
“The age for delivering the best performance in wrestling is between 22 and 28 years. These wrestlers who are protesting can't win an Olympic medal. This is turning into anger and that is why they are protesting,” Singh was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Read| Why are wrestlers, including Olympic medalists, protesting at Jantar Mantar?
His statement comes amid top wrestlers, including two Olympic medalists, stage protest at Delhi Jantar Mantar for second consecutive day. On the first day, a group of 30 wrestlers led by Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist Bajrang Punia, Rio Olympics bronze medalist Sakshi Malik, and two-time world championships medalist Vinesh Phogat conducted a sit-in demanding immediate removal of Singh in order to “save wrestling from his clutches”. Olympic champion Vinesh Phogat also accused Singh of sexual harassment.
{{/usCountry}}His statement comes amid top wrestlers, including two Olympic medalists, stage protest at Delhi Jantar Mantar for second consecutive day. On the first day, a group of 30 wrestlers led by Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist Bajrang Punia, Rio Olympics bronze medalist Sakshi Malik, and two-time world championships medalist Vinesh Phogat conducted a sit-in demanding immediate removal of Singh in order to “save wrestling from his clutches”. Olympic champion Vinesh Phogat also accused Singh of sexual harassment.
{{/usCountry}}Read| 'If happened will hang myself...': WFI chief on Phogat's sexual harassment claim
Responding to sexual harassment charges, Singh said he will “hang himself” if such incident is found true. "Is there any person in front who can say that the Federation harassed any athlete... Did they have no problems with the Federation for the past ten years? Issues emerge when new rules and regulations are brought in..." he told ANI.