Vinesh Phogat and Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh (Image credit: Agencies) NEW DELHI: Wrestler Vinesh Phogat on Sunday revealed that she is one of the six wrestlers who have accused former Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of sexual harassment.The announcement comes just days ahead of her return to the points tournament at the Brij Bhushan Gonda fortress, her first appearance in nearly 20 months after coming out of retirement in December last year.
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‘I am a victim too’: Vinesh Phogat identifies himself as complainant in Brij Bhushan sexual harassment caseVinesh, a two-time World Championship medalist and three-time Olympian, previously did not identify herself publicly, citing the ongoing legal proceedings. In a 4-minute, 22-second Instagram video, she said “certain circumstances” forced her to speak out despite the matter being litigated.“Supreme Court guidelines say that no victim’s identity should be revealed… but today due to certain circumstances I want to tell you something,” said Vinesh, “I myself am one of the six victims who filed a complaint and our testimony is still ongoing.”Vinesh also raised serious concerns about the fairness and venue of the upcoming competition, claiming that it is being held at the Brij Bhushan bastion and an institution associated with it.“It’s very difficult for a woman to compete in that situation,” she said. “He has his own private college and this competition is held there … it’s almost impossible for any hard-working athlete to achieve his goals.”WFI president Sanjay Singh said the venue of the National Open Ranking Tournament in Gonda would not be changed and offered a “personal guarantee” for its safety.Vinesh is also a legislator now having won the Julana seat in Haryana in 2024 on a Congress ticket.Urging transparency about the venue, she said, “If any untoward incident happens to me, my team or the fans, the Government of India will be responsible.She alleged that officiating and scoring may be influenced by those loyal to Singh.Who will decide whose match, how many points will the referee give…all this will be managed by Brij Bhushan and his people. And the government and our sports ministry are watching as silent spectators,” added Vinesh.Sanjay Singh told PTI that “If Vinesh is worried about her safety, let me assure her that I take a personal guarantee for it. We also have UWW approved umpires to officiate and all test matches are recorded so there is no chance of bias.” “And let me add that this is an open tournament which is not mandatory. It is up to her to compete. We will not change the venue,” Singh said.Vinesh was a central figure in the 2023 protests at Jantar Mantar 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 allegations, continues in court and the testimonies of the victims are still being recorded. When contacted, Singh declined to comment, saying the matter was pending in court.Her comeback tournament, the National Open Ranking scheduled for May 10-12 in Gonda, is part of the Senior Open Ranking and will see her compete in the 57kg category. The event serves as a pathway for wrestlers who want to enter the national camp and bid for the Asian Games trials.
