Top wrestlers' protest against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI)'s chief Brij Bhushan Singh has been hogging the headlines. Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat, etc., have led the protest&nbsp;as&nbsp;seven female&nbsp;wrestlers, including a minor, have complained against Brij Bhushan alleging sexual harassment.

Amid all the chaos, the Delhi Police revealed, on Friday (April 28), that it is set to register an FIR against Brij Bhushan as the protest tightens. A few days back, sports minister Anurag Thakur&nbsp;claimed that he spent 12 hours with the protesting wrestlers and heard their concerns. However, Punia gave a befitting reply to Thakur's claims.

“The sports minister is saying that he spoke to the players for 12 hours. Once ask the Sports Minister for how long you were sitting among the players. He sat for 2-4 minutes with the players. His officials were mediating with the players,” Punia told reporters a few days back.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/none-have-spoken-up-vinesh-phogat-launches-scathing-attack-on-indian-cricketers-amid-wrestlers-vs-wfi-row-586924">'None have spoken up': Vinesh Phogat launches scathing attack on Indian cricketers amid wrestlers vs WFI row</a>

"A few wrestlers are sitting in protest at Jantar Mantar. I have spent 12 hours hours with them -- seven hours on the first day and five hours the next day (in January). I 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. There is nothing in our mind, we wanted an impartial probe," Thakur had revealed at a press conference in Shimla on Thursday (April 27).

Thakur added, "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 their case."

After the Delhi Police filed&nbsp;two FIRs against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the BJP MP told the media, "Their (wrestlers) demands are constantly changing. They first asked for my resignation as the federation chief, I said that would mean accepting the charges against me. Resignation is no big deal, but I won't do it as a criminal. I am not a criminal," he said, adding that it's not a tough time for him as he has always faced difficulties."

Top wrestlers' protest against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI)'s chief Brij Bhushan Singh has been hogging the headlines. Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat, etc.

Top wrestlers' protest against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI)'s chief Brij Bhushan Singh has been hogging the headlines. Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat, etc., have led the protest as seven female wrestlers, including a minor, have complained against Brij Bhushan alleging sexual harassment. Amid all the chaos, the Delhi Police revealed, on Friday (April 28), that it is set to register an FIR against Brij Bhushan as the protest tightens. A few days back, sports minister Anurag Thakur claimed that he spent 12 hours with the protesting wrestlers and heard their concerns. However, Punia gave a befitting reply to Thakur's claims. “The sports minister is saying that he spoke to the players for 12 hours. Once ask the Sports Minister for how long you were sitting among the players. He sat for 2-4 minutes with the players. His officials were mediating with the players,” Punia told reporters a few days back. Also Read: 'None have spoken up': Vinesh Phogat launches scathing attack on Indian cricketers amid wrestlers vs WFI row "A few wrestlers are sitting in protest at Jantar Mantar. I have spent 12 hours hours with them -- seven hours on the first day and five hours the next day (in January). I 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. There is nothing in our mind, we wanted an impartial probe," Thakur had revealed at a press conference in Shimla on Thursday (April 27). Thakur added, "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 their case." After the Delhi Police filed two FIRs against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the BJP MP told the media, "Their (wrestlers) demands are constantly changing. They first asked for my resignation as the federation chief, I said that would mean accepting the charges against me. Resignation is no big deal, but I won't do it as a criminal. I am not a criminal," he said, adding that it's not a tough time for him as he has always faced difficulties."

Wrestling mess: Bajrang Punia gives befitting reply to Anurag Thakur's ‘spent 12 hours with wrestlers' remark

The top wrestlers of the country have been involved in an ongoing protest against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Singh over allegations of sexual harassment. It has created a lot of eyeballs in the past few days.&nbsp;It is to be noted that as many as seven female wrestlers, including a minor, have complained against Brij Bhushan of sexual harassment.

Thus, the protest has led to reactions from several athletes in the country. However, not many top Indian cricketers have given their response and their silence has not been well received by Vinesh Phogat. The World Championship medalist launched a scathing attack on the Indian cricketers and told the Indian Express, "The entire country worships cricket but not even a single cricketer has spoken up. We aren’t saying that you speak in our favour, but at least put up a neutral message and say there should be justice for whichever party."

She further opined, "It’s not like we don’t have big athletes in our country. There are cricketers… During the Black Lives Matter movement in the US, they showed their support. Don’t we deserve even that much?"

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wrestling-mess-my-heart-goes-out-to-all-olympic-medallist-abhinav-bindra-backs-protesting-wrestlers-586386">Wrestling mess: 'My heart goes out to all' - Olympic medallist Abhinav Bindra backs protesting wrestlers</a>

Vinesh added, "You do come forward to congratulate us when we win something. Even the cricketers tweet when that happens. Abhi kya ho gaya? (What has happened now?) Are you so afraid of the system? Or maybe there’s something fishy going on there too? (Unke daal mein bhi kaala hai, yeh maan ke chale hum?)

We don’t know what they are afraid of. I understand that they may be concerned that this could affect their sponsorship and brand endorsement deals. Maybe that’s why they are afraid to associate themselves with athletes who are protesting. But it pains me."

Kapil Dev, India's 1983 World Cup-winning captain, was one of the first cricketers to have reacted to the protests and backed the wrestlers, via a story on his Instagram account. On Friday (April 28), the likes of Harbhajan Singh and Irfan Pathan also broke their silence, asking for justice to prevail at the earliest. However, the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Sachin Tendulkar, etc. are yet to respond.

Earlier on Friday, Tokyo 2020 gold medallist Neeraj Chopra also backed the protesting wrestlers and tweeted, "It hurts me to see our athletes on the streets demanding justice. They have worked hard to represent our great nation and make us proud. As a nation, we are responsible for safeguarding the integrity and dignity of every individual, athlete or not. What’s happening should never happen. This is a sensitive issue and must be dealt with in an impartial and transparent manner. Pertaining authorities must take quick action in order to ensure that justice is served.”

The top wrestlers of the country have been involved in an ongoing protest against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Singh over allegations of sexual harassment.

The top wrestlers of the country have been involved in an ongoing protest against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Singh over allegations of sexual harassment. It has created a lot of eyeballs in the past few days. It is to be noted that as many as seven female wrestlers, including a minor, have complained against Brij Bhushan of sexual harassment. Thus, the protest has led to reactions from several athletes in the country. However, not many top Indian cricketers have given their response and their silence has not been well received by Vinesh Phogat. The World Championship medalist launched a scathing attack on the Indian cricketers and told the Indian Express, "The entire country worships cricket but not even a single cricketer has spoken up. We aren’t saying that you speak in our favour, but at least put up a neutral message and say there should be justice for whichever party." She further opined, "It’s not like we don’t have big athletes in our country. There are cricketers… During the Black Lives Matter movement in the US, they showed their support. Don’t we deserve even that much?" Also read: Wrestling mess: 'My heart goes out to all' - Olympic medallist Abhinav Bindra backs protesting wrestlers Vinesh added, "You do come forward to congratulate us when we win something. Even the cricketers tweet when that happens. Abhi kya ho gaya? (What has happened now?) Are you so afraid of the system? Or maybe there’s something fishy going on there too? (Unke daal mein bhi kaala hai, yeh maan ke chale hum?) We don’t know what they are afraid of. I understand that they may be concerned that this could affect their sponsorship and brand endorsement deals. Maybe that’s why they are afraid to associate themselves with athletes who are protesting. But it pains me." Kapil Dev, India's 1983 World Cup-winning captain, was one of the first cricketers to have reacted to the protests and backed the wrestlers, via a story on his Instagram account. On Friday (April 28), the likes of Harbhajan Singh and Irfan Pathan also broke their silence, asking for justice to prevail at the earliest. However, the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Sachin Tendulkar, etc. are yet to respond. Earlier on Friday, Tokyo 2020 gold medallist Neeraj Chopra also backed the protesting wrestlers and tweeted, "It hurts me to see our athletes on the streets demanding justice. They have worked hard to represent our great nation and make us proud. As a nation, we are responsible for safeguarding the integrity and dignity of every individual, athlete or not. What’s happening should never happen. This is a sensitive issue and must be dealt with in an impartial and transparent manner. Pertaining authorities must take quick action in order to ensure that justice is served.”

'None have spoken up': Vinesh Phogat launches scathing attack on Indian cricketers amid wrestlers vs WFI row

The path to the Olympics is paved with potholes for many athletes but few can claim to have overcome hardship like &nbsp;Indian-origin wrestler Vinod Kumar, who was thrown off a speeding train by a rival&#39;s family in India before landing on his feet in Australia. 
 
Melbourne-based Kumar will compete for his adopted country in the 66 kg-class of Greco-Roman wrestling at the Rio de Janeiro Games, six years after landing Down Under, a colloquialism for Australia, with a suitcase in hand and a head full of troubled childhood memories. 
 
Winning the Olympic ticket was karma, according to Kumar, and a reward for forgiving the people who all but killed him when he was a teenager competing on India&#39;s wrestling circuit. 
 
&quot;Wrestling is big in India,&quot; the 31-year-old Kumar told Reuters in an interview at his Melbourne home. &quot;Fathers all want their sons to win... I forgave them because I believe in karma and I believe in God.&quot; 
 
Born in a small village near the Indian capital &nbsp;of New Delhi and raised in a family of wrestlers, Kumar competed at junior national tournaments across the country from a young age. 
 
In 2001, he boarded a long-haul train to an event in southern India with other young wrestlers but never arrived. 
 
BROKEN BONES 
 
As the train coursed through coastal forests in southern Indian state of &nbsp;Karnataka, Kumar was handed a spiked soft-drink and immediately felt dizzy after taking a mouthful. 
 
He went groggily to the carriage&#39;s doorway to get some air and two men, one the father of a rival wrestler, hurled him from the train before it sped into a tunnel. 
 
Bones were broken in his arms and legs as his body careened off the tracks to settle by a body of water. 
 
&quot;The train was going very fast. Maybe 100-130 kilometres (per hour/ 81 mph),&quot; the shaven-headed wrestler said in halting English. 
 
&quot;My clothes were all torn, like I was just wearing my underwear.&quot; 
 
Fifteen years later, Kumar lifts up his shirt and trouser leg to show deep scars along his chest and knee but can now chuckle about the absurdity of what happened. 
 
He was conscious and in searing pain, unable to move as mosquitoes bit him and flies buzzed around his wounds. 
 
Kumar believes he would have died if he had not been discovered by rail workers in the morning, putting him on another train bound for a hospital that could treat him. 
 
&quot;No one knew where I was for 15 days, everybody thought I was dead,&quot; he laughed. 
 
When he returned to his family, police arrested five of the men who were on the carriage. 
 
DIRT WRESTLER 
 
His family took legal action as Kumar lay bed-ridden for a year. One of his brothers refused a compensation payment from the rival wrestler&#39;s father. 
 
Kumar eventually returned to competition and although he appeared in court &quot;two or three times&quot;, the case dragged on for years and he told his family to drop the lawsuit. 
 
His forgiveness was not shared by his family, however, and caused a rift so deep that Kumar left home for good. 
 
He then spent years roaming the country, competing for cash prizes in towns and villages in conventional freestyle events and in &#39;pehlwani&#39;, India&#39;s traditional dirt wrestling. 
 
Australia promised a fresh start but it has been tough since landing in 2010 with little English and no skills. 
 
With no professional wrestling to speak of in Australia, Kumar has worked as a courier and a bouncer at nightclubs to earn money and says he owes friends up to $10,800. 
 
Both &nbsp;parents have died since he left India, his mother of a heart attack only two weeks before his interview with Reuters. 
 
&quot;Sometimes I&#39;m feeling very upset, thinking I am here and I have no money, nothing here,&quot; said Kumar, sitting on his bed with a clutch of medals hanging by the wall. 
 
&quot;I feel it&#39;s too hard here and I want to quit... Then I go to the club (to train) and have a better feeling.&quot; 
 
After earning his ticket to Rio in April at a qualifying tournament in Algeria, Kumar feels the grind has been worth it. 
 
Melbourne&#39;s prominent Indian community have rallied to his cause and he will head to Brazil hoping to become Australia&#39;s first wrestling medallist in more than 60 years. 
 
He said the rival wrestler&#39;s father who threw him from the train is dead and that the man&#39;s wife had hanged herself. Their son has not succeeded in wrestling. 
 
&quot;Now he&#39;s nothing and I&#39;m an Olympian,&quot; Kumar said. &quot;This is karma.&quot; 
 
&nbsp;

Vinod Kumar has endured broken bones, legal battles against his attackers and loss of family to finally achieve his dream of wrestling in the Olympics

The path to the Olympics is paved with potholes for many athletes but few can claim to have overcome hardship like Indian-origin wrestler Vinod Kumar, who was thrown off a speeding train by a rival's family in India before landing on his feet in Australia. Melbourne-based Kumar will compete for his adopted country in the 66 kg-class of Greco-Roman wrestling at the Rio de Janeiro Games, six years after landing Down Under, a colloquialism for Australia, with a suitcase in hand and a head full of troubled childhood memories. Winning the Olympic ticket was karma, according to Kumar, and a reward for forgiving the people who all but killed him when he was a teenager competing on India's wrestling circuit. "Wrestling is big in India," the 31-year-old Kumar told Reuters in an interview at his Melbourne home. "Fathers all want their sons to win... I forgave them because I believe in karma and I believe in God." Born in a small village near the Indian capital of New Delhi and raised in a family of wrestlers, Kumar competed at junior national tournaments across the country from a young age. In 2001, he boarded a long-haul train to an event in southern India with other young wrestlers but never arrived. BROKEN BONES As the train coursed through coastal forests in southern Indian state of Karnataka, Kumar was handed a spiked soft-drink and immediately felt dizzy after taking a mouthful. He went groggily to the carriage's doorway to get some air and two men, one the father of a rival wrestler, hurled him from the train before it sped into a tunnel. Bones were broken in his arms and legs as his body careened off the tracks to settle by a body of water. "The train was going very fast. Maybe 100-130 kilometres (per hour/ 81 mph)," the shaven-headed wrestler said in halting English. "My clothes were all torn, like I was just wearing my underwear." Fifteen years later, Kumar lifts up his shirt and trouser leg to show deep scars along his chest and knee but can now chuckle about the absurdity of what happened. He was conscious and in searing pain, unable to move as mosquitoes bit him and flies buzzed around his wounds. Kumar believes he would have died if he had not been discovered by rail workers in the morning, putting him on another train bound for a hospital that could treat him. "No one knew where I was for 15 days, everybody thought I was dead," he laughed. When he returned to his family, police arrested five of the men who were on the carriage. DIRT WRESTLER His family took legal action as Kumar lay bed-ridden for a year. One of his brothers refused a compensation payment from the rival wrestler's father. Kumar eventually returned to competition and although he appeared in court "two or three times", the case dragged on for years and he told his family to drop the lawsuit. His forgiveness was not shared by his family, however, and caused a rift so deep that Kumar left home for good. He then spent years roaming the country, competing for cash prizes in towns and villages in conventional freestyle events and in 'pehlwani', India's traditional dirt wrestling. Australia promised a fresh start but it has been tough since landing in 2010 with little English and no skills. With no professional wrestling to speak of in Australia, Kumar has worked as a courier and a bouncer at nightclubs to earn money and says he owes friends up to $10,800. Both parents have died since he left India, his mother of a heart attack only two weeks before his interview with Reuters. "Sometimes I'm feeling very upset, thinking I am here and I have no money, nothing here," said Kumar, sitting on his bed with a clutch of medals hanging by the wall. "I feel it's too hard here and I want to quit... Then I go to the club (to train) and have a better feeling." After earning his ticket to Rio in April at a qualifying tournament in Algeria, Kumar feels the grind has been worth it. Melbourne's prominent Indian community have rallied to his cause and he will head to Brazil hoping to become Australia's first wrestling medallist in more than 60 years. He said the rival wrestler's father who threw him from the train is dead and that the man's wife had hanged herself. Their son has not succeeded in wrestling. "Now he's nothing and I'm an Olympian," Kumar said. "This is karma."

Thrown out of a moving train, Indian-origin Australian wrestler gets back on track for Olympics