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Former India Tennis No.1 ranked player Somdev Devvarman has extended his support to the wrestler's protest in India. The double Asian Games gold medallist called out the authorities to fix the system by diving deep into the struggles of an athlete.
The wrestler's protest has been a knotty problem in the sporting section of India ever since top Indian wrestlers came to the streets of the national capital with allegations of sexual harassment and molestation against former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
Although the matter is currently being heard in court, the protesting wrestlers such as Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, and Vinesh Phogat have questioned the government authorities for their silence.
Writing in his column for the Scroll.in, Somdev Devvarman said that indirect attempts were made to completely shut the voice of an athlete. He wrote:
"Athletes are silenced for speaking up. That seemed like the underlying tone coming from the authorities. That goes against the principle of what every athlete is all about. You want an athlete to be strong, independent, to fight the odds, and find a way to be victorious."
The wrestlers' protest went on for more than six months in two different phases. It also led the government authorities to dissolve the WFI body and elections were delayed subsequently.
Within three days after Sanjay Singh won the fresh WFI presidential elections on December 21, the Sports Ministry suspended the body for taking decisions under the influence of former office-bearers, indicating to Brij Bhushan's control over WFI.
"The wrestlers’ protest and what has followed has been heartbreaking. Our wrestlers have won Olympic medals and made the country proud. But what does that really mean at this point, when they are fighting the system? It’s all very obscure right now," Somdev expressed.
"Allegations of sexual abuse as a systemic problem are very grave indeed and are further compounded by the layers of red tape and bureaucracy that athletes have to fight when bringing these issues to the notice of the authorities," he further stressed on the matter.
"They are standing up for what they believe is right" - Somdev Devvarman
Olympic medallist Bajrang Punia and three-time Deaflympics gold medallist Virender Singh returned their Padma Shri Award to the government of India as a mark of protest against wrestler's concerns. Joining them in the movement, former world champion Vinesh Phogat returned her Khel Ratna (highest sporting award in the country) and Arjuna Award to the authorities.
Reacting to the wrestlers' decisions to hand back their civilian honors to the Indian government, Somdev Devvarman, a dual recipient of the Padma Shri and the Arjuna Award, mentioned:
"People are being made examples of in front of us. People are retiring. People are giving their Padma Shri’s back. The Padma Shri is the fourth-highest civilian honour and people in different professions would do anything to get one."
"I have got one as well. The fact that these people are willing to give that up, means that they are willing to give up everything. Look at Bajrang [Punia], Sakshi Malik in this whole case. For me, they are heroes. They are standing up for what they believe is right."
The next hearing for Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh's case will take place on January 4 and January 6.
