'I would wish death...': India's wrestling body chief releases video amid sexual harassment allegations

Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chiefBrij Bhushan Sharan Singh released a video Thursday amid sexual harassment accusations sayinginstead of living such a life, he would wish that death takes him in its embrace.

This comes as Supreme Court is all set to hear the petition moved by India's decorated women wrestlers, seeking registration of FIR against the wrestling body chief.

The country's top wrestlers Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, and Bajrang Punia, havelevelled accusations against Brij Bhushan Singh of sexually harassing athletes, a charge that the body chief refutes.

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Indian wrestlers are demonstrating and seeking stringent action. Brij Bhushan said in a video, "Friends, the day I introspect on what I gained or lost, and feel that I no longer have the strength to fight; the day I feel helpless, I would wish death as I won't be living a life like that. Instead of living such a life, I would wish that death takes me in its embrace."

Amid this, a statement by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president PT Usha drew strong rebuke by many when she said the wrestlers are tarnishing the image of the country and they should have approached the body instead of taking to the streets.

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"Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has a committee to deal with complaints of sexual harassment. Instead of taking to the streets, they (the protesting wrestlers) could have come to us earlier. But they did not. This isn't good for our sports. They should have shown some discipline," Usha told local reporters.

The protesting wrestlers termed her remarks "insensitive."

Sakshi Malik, the first Indian female wrestler to win a medal at the Olympics, said, "Being a woman athlete, she (PT Usha) is not listening to other women athletes. We have followed her since childhood and were inspired by her. Where is the indiscipline here? We are holding a peaceful protest."

Vinesh Phogat, the Commonwealth Games (CWG) and World Championship medalist, and Olympic gold medalist Abhinav Bindra also supported Malik.

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"As athletes, we train hard every day to represent our country on the international stage. It is deeply concerning to see our athletes finding it necessary to protest on the streets regarding the allegations of harassment in the Indian wrestling administration," Bindra tweeted.

"My heart goes out to all those who have been affected. We must ensure that this issue is handled properly, with the athletes' concerns heard and addressed fairly and independently. This incident highlights the crucial need for a proper safeguarding mechanism that can prevent harassment and ensure justice for those affected. We must work towards creating a safe and secure environment for all athletes to thrive in," he added.

The wrestlers have been sleeping and also training at the protest location close to the Jantar Mantar in the national capital for the past four days. On Wednesday, they staged a candlelight march against the WFI president at Jantar Mantar.

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