World Olympic body terms treatment of protesting wrestlers ‘very disturbing’ | Latest News India

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has condemned the style during which the protesting Indian wrestlers have been being handled by Delhi Police over the weekend, terming it “very disturbing” in a strongly-worded assertion.

The IOC’s response follows the United World Wrestling’s (UWW) criticism of the detention of the grapplers throughout their protest at Jantar Mantar, during which the game’s world physique threatened to droop the nationwide federation if it fails to carry its election inside the stipulated time.

The highest wrestlers — Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia and Sangeeta Phogat — have accused the Wrestling Federation of India’s (WFI) outgoing president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of sexual exploitation.

“The remedy of the Indian wrestling athletes over the weekend was very disturbing. The IOC insists that the allegations by the wrestlers are adopted up on by an unbiased, felony investigation in step with native legislation,” the IOC mentioned within the assertion.

“We perceive {that a} first step in the direction of such a felony investigation has been made, however extra steps must observe earlier than concrete actions develop into seen. We urge that the protection and wellbeing of those athletes is duly thought-about all through this course of and that this investigation will probably be speedily concluded.”

Unprecedented scenes of police dragging Olympic and World Championships medallists, together with Sakshi, Vinesh, Bajrang and Sangeeta, have been witnessed when the wrestlers and their supporters breached the safety cordon throughout their march in the direction of the brand new Parliament constructing for the deliberate girls’s ‘Mahapanchayat’ on Sunday.

The wrestlers are demanding the arrest of Brij Bhushan for allegedly sexually harassing a number of girls wrestlers, together with a minor.

The IOC additional mentioned in its assertion, “From the very starting of the allegations, the IOC has been in shut contact with United World Wrestling (UWW), which has already taken measures.

“The IOC helps UWW because the competent sporting authority to handle this difficulty because it pertains to the governance of the game of wrestling in India. Now we have been knowledgeable by UWW that the President of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) is at the moment not in cost.

“The IOC will proceed to assist UWW in all their efforts and within the framework of the IOC Pointers for Worldwide Federations and NOCs for safeguarding athletes from harassment and abuse in sport.”

The IOC requested the Indian Olympic Affiliation (IOA) to take the mandatory actions “to guard the athletes and to make it possible for the elections of WFI are taking place as deliberate and in step with the rules of UWW as an Worldwide Federation”.

The wrestlers had known as for a girls’s Mahapanchayat on the new Parliament constructing at a time when it was being inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Expressing its disappointment over the “lack of outcomes of the investigations up to now”, the UWW on Tuesday mentioned that the sports activities physique will maintain a gathering with the wrestlers to inquire about their situation and security.

Concerning the WFI elections, wrestling’s worldwide governing physique mentioned in its assertion, “… UWW will request additional details about the following elective common meeting from the IOA and the Advert-hoc Committee of the WFI. The 45-day deadline that was initially set to carry this elective meeting shall be revered.

“Failing to take action could lead UWW to droop the federation, thereby forcing the athletes to compete underneath a impartial flag. It’s reminded that UWW already took a measure on this state of affairs by reallocating the Asian Championship deliberate in New Delhi earlier this 12 months.”

On April 27, a two-member ad-hoc committee was fashioned to run the day-to-day affairs of WFI and likewise conduct the elections. It has been 34 days since, leaving the physique with simply 11 days to carry the polls.