Usha stated the sit-in agitation via wrestlers at Jantar Mantar has introduced wicked exposure to the rustic. They must have first approached the IOA’s Athletes Fee with their complaint earlier than staging a protest, which entered its 5th era on Thursday, she stated. Usha often known as for the wrestlers to be “disciplined”.
“IOA has an athletes commission in place. Instead of hitting the streets, these wrestlers should’ve come to us. The athletes should be disciplined. If their problems were real, they should’ve come to our athletes commission. What they are doing is not good for the image of the country. Hitting the streets is not good for Indian sports,” Usha advised newshounds then the IOA’s govt committee (EC) assembly right here, which mentioned the wrestlers’ protest and determined to mode a three-member ad-hoc committee to run the WFI’s daily affairs and retain its elections inside of 45 days of the formation of the frame.
Usha expressed her unhappiness over the wrestlers’ try to offer the agitation a political color. “Those protesting are renowned wrestlers who brought laurels to the country. They have an equal responsibility of safeguarding the interest of our sports and sportspersons and also the image of our country. However, they are sitting on dharna, asking all political parties to join them etc, is what disappoints me,” Usha added.
Surprised via her feedback, the protesting wrestlers, led via Olympians Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik, crash again at Usha, difficult appreciate for his or her motion to give protection to the pace presen of feminine wrestlers from going through sexual harassment.
“I am deeply shocked to hear such comments from a legendary athlete like Usha mam. We grew up idolising her and respecting her achievements. She was a role model to us. She has herself been a female athlete with such a distinguished career. How can she not understand the plight of female sportspersons who have been demanding justice and spending nights in the open sky. If she can’t respect our sentiments, we shouldn’t be respecting her. If she wants respect from us, she should also show respect towards the wrestlers’ cause. Her comment today has deeply disturbed me. It’s not like we didn’t try calling her up. I called her up on her personal number. She didn’t answer my call. She doesn’t have respect for athletes’ feelings,” stated Vinesh.
Bajrang stated, “Recently, Usha mam had tweeted that some people tried to illegally occupy her academy land by resorting to hooliganism. Tell me, wasn’t the nation’s image getting tarnished that time?” If being a Rajya Sabha MP nominated at the BJP price ticket, she will’t save her academy land, how may you are expecting customary wrestlers like us to salary and win a battle in opposition to (Brij Bhushan) Singh. Usha mam has disillusioned our entire nation along with her observation.”
Previous, IOA’s joint secretary and performing CEO, Kalyan Chaubey, additionally slammed the wrestlers for protesting at the streets. “We are yet to get a report from our (seven-member fact-finding) committee. But these protests are not good for the image of the country. We are the fifth largest economy in the world and sport is a medium through which you reach all parts of the world. This protest is not helping India as a nation. In this day and age of social media, imagine what this does to a country’s image? You’re not fighting against one federation or its president, you’re hurting the nation’s image.”
We gave each and every protesting athlete to offer their case: Thakur
Union sports activities minister Anurag Singh Thakur spoke at the wrestlers’ flow protest for the primary age on Thursday. He stated the welfare of sports activities and athletes has all the time been a concern for this executive. “A few wrestlers are protesting at Jantar Mantar. I had spent 12 hours with them — seven hours on the first day and five hours the next day (in January). I had listened to all their grievances, held a press conference at 2-2.30 at night, formed a committee after talking to them. They had asked to add a member and gave Babita Phogat’s name, and we added her to the committee. We wanted an impartial probe,” Thakur stated at a press convention in Shimla.
“Whoever wanted to present their version before the oversight committee, was given a chance to do so, there were no restrictions. We even increased the timeline of the probe, there were 14 meetings. Whoever wanted to come, came. We gave a chance to every athlete to present his/her case,” he added.
