IOA athletes’ panel backtracks on statement supporting protesting wrestlers

Days after the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president PT Usha termed the ongoing wrestlers’ protest as an ‘act of indiscipline’, the body’s Athletes’ Commission backtracked from releasing a statement showing solidarity with the athletes.
The IOA’s Athletes Commission, headed boxing legend MC Mary Kom and responsible for being the voice of the sportspersons in adminrative issues, had decided in its meeting on Saturday evening to come out in support of the wrestlers, who have accused Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of sexual harassment and criminal intimidation.
Sakshi Malikkh, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia have been protesting for a week at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi against Brij Bhushan, seeking his arrest.
It is learnt that after the Commission’s virtual meeting, Winter Olympian Shiva Keshavan drafted the statement, which is believed to be neutral in tone but pushing for proper mechanisms in place for safe sport. Apart from Keshavan, the meeting was attended table tennis star Sharath Kamal, Beijing Olympics gold medall Abhinav Bindra, London Games bronze medall Gagan Narang, former India hockey captain Rani Rampal and shot putter Om Prakash Karhana.
According to athletes who were part of the meeting, all members of the Commission agreed to the draft statement in support of the wrestlers and it was shared on their WhatsApp group. However, after the meeting concluded, Narang – who is also a vice-president of the IOA – argued it was ‘too late’ to issue a statement and the act would leave them open to criticism.
Subsequently, it was decided not to release the statement on the IOA’s website and social media handles, as originally planned. Narang could not be reached for comment.
Independence questioned
The panel is formed under a framework similar to that of the International Olympic Committee’s athletes’ body. According to the regulations published on the IOA website, the Athletes Commission is an ‘independent body’ that, among other things, will ‘represent the views of the athletes and make their voice heard within the IOA’.
The Commission’s decision to not make its statement in support of the wrestlers public casts a shadow over its independence. Last week, Usha had said: “Wrestlers staging a protest on streets amounts to indiscipline. It is tarnishing the image of India.”
A member of the commission said they do not know what happened behind the scenes. “Most members have individually supported the wrestlers through their social media platforms so thought there is no reason to do it collectively under the umbrella of the Athletes Commission. The message should have been sent out,” a member of the commission said.
Keshavan, who drafted the message, refused to comment on the incident but said: “I would like to see a larger role of the Athletes Committee in these kinds of matters. After all, it is the voice of athletes in IOA. The intentions are good but we need to strengthen the systems. That’s why people reach the streets, because the system doesn’t work.”

When asked, Vinesh told a press conference on Sunday: “This is a question better put to those in the IOA and the athletes that are part of that commission, not to us.”