• By Sports desk
  • Sun, 03 May 2026 03:58 PM (IST)
  • Source:JND
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India's Asian Games gold medallist and three-time Commonwealth Games champion Vinesh Phogat revealed that she is one of the six women who have filed a sexual harassment complaint against former Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

She also said that she fears for her safety and that of her team ahead of the upcoming National Open Ranking Tournament in Gonda, Uttar Pradesh, where she plans to return to competitive wrestling after almost 20 months.

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Vinesh Phogat on Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh

Vinesh shared her statement through a video on her social media accounts, saying the identity of victims should be protected.

“The Supreme Court guidelines say that the identity of any victim should not be revealed, because it concerns their dignity and honour,” said Vinesh in a video that she posted on her social media handles. “I would like to reveal today that I am one of the six women wrestlers who filed complaints. The case is still in court and witnesses are being examined. Competing at a place linked to him, where most people present may be associated with him, puts immense mental pressure on me,” she said.

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She also raised concerns about fairness at the tournament, saying that the influence of Brij Bhushan and his supporters could affect how things are run.

“The tournament is being organised at a place where his (Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh’s) influence is strong. Who will officiate which bout, how many points will be awarded, who will sit as mat chairman, everything can be controlled by him and his people,” Vinesh further said.

Vinesh added that she does not trust the system to treat athletes fairly.

“Our sports ministry is silently watching all this unfold. Nobody is stepping forward to help the athletes. It is almost like they have given Brij Bushan a free hand to do whatever he wants,” said Vinesh. “I don’t think hard-working athletes will have their weight checks done fairly, nor will the results of their hard work reflect fairly on the mat.”

Earlier, she had raised concerns about being stopped from taking part in the event. Later, she confirmed that her registration for the tournament had finally been completed.

“My registration to participate in the upcoming ranking tournament was done this morning,” she had said in a post on X. “I could not complete the registration yesterday as the link was closed. Thank you for the support from everyone. I am looking forward to competing in my first competition after 20 months,” Vinesh added.

She had been preparing to return at the National Open Ranking Tournament, where registrations were open till April 30. But when she tried to register, the portal showed it was closed, and she also said she did not receive any response from WFI officials.

Vinesh Phogat's last competition

Vinesh was last seen competing on the mat during the Paris Olympics 2024, where she got disqualified from the final for being overweight.


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