The protests by the wrestlers speak volumes about the wrong doing in the sports bodies

Fence eating the crop aptly describe the happenings in the Wrestlers federation of India. The crop happens to be the most valued assets for the country, our sportspersons. That is what has sent shock waves throughout the country. The ill-treatment of sportspersons in the country is not new and many times their plight has been reported but the present woes of wrestlers are extraordinary on two counts. It shows how stubborn the sports authorities are as they are not afraid of consequences, secondly never before such a protest by the sportspersons have been made by several wrestlers including the Olympians who have come out in the open to protest the highhandedness and arbitrariness of the Wrestling Federation of India. The saddest part is that the sexual misconduct of the authorities has been alleged, though it is still to be probed, But one thing is for sure, the smoke tells the story of the fire. The malice lies in the way the sports are handled by the government in the country. Most of the sports bodies are governed by politicians and their relatives. Their motive is not to promote the sport but to ride on the popularity of the game and enjoy the entitlements that come along with it. It is no secret that most of the money earmarked for the sportsperson is spent on lavish tours of sports authorities and their perks while sportspersons are left high and dry. Since speaking against the authorities is akin to risking their career, they keep mum while the authorities enjoy life piggybacking on the sportspersons.

The recent outburst of the top wrestlers may be just the tip of the iceberg as the faultlines go much deeper. The wrestling federation authorities have been charged by wrestlers with sexual exploitation of athletes. The  person in the eye of the storm is none other than Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, a sitting MP. The protesters are not unknown faces but world-class sportspersons like world championship medallist Vinesh Phogat, Rio Olympic medallist Sakshi Malik, world medallist Anshu Malik, and Olympic medallist Bajrang Punia. Since the charges are against a person from the ruling dispensation it may not be easy for the athletes to get justice. But since they have come in the open, it should inspire others to speak up against the wrongdoings of the authorities. The war to clean up the mess has just begun and the wrestlers who have fighting spirit can and must take this fight forward.