Updated May 3rd, 2023 at 14:49 IST

'She said she is an athlete first': Bajrang Punia reveals details of PT Usha's visit

Amid ongoing protest, Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia has spoken regarding the meeting they had with the Indian Olympic Association president PT Usha.

Reported by: Saksham Nagar
Image: Facebook and ANI | Image:self
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As the top Indian wrestlers under the leadership of Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, and Sakshi Malik are protesting against the Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh at the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. The wrestlers resumed their protest after protesting in the month of January against the WFI chief. The wrestlers resumed their protest two weeks before after they registered a written complaint against Brij Bhushan on the charges of sexual exploitation. An FIR was later registered by the Delhi Police in the matter as per the order of the Supreme Court

Despite the FIR being registered against the WFI chief, the wrestlers are still protesting at Jantar Mantar and the Indian Olympic Association chief and former runner PT Usha went to meet the protesting wrestlers and heard the demands of the protesting wrestlers. 

'PT Usha met us and assured her support': Bajrang Punia 

After PT Usha met the protesting wrestlers at Jantar Mantar, wrestler Bajrang Punia told the media regarding the meeting with IOA chief. Bajrang said, "PT Usha met us and assured her support. She said she is an athlete first and then an administrator. She assured that she will help us get justice."

Before this the wrestlers and PT Usha shared a verbal battle with each other wherein the IOA chief had said to PTI,  "Wrestlers staging protest on streets amounts to indiscipline. It is tarnishing the image of India". 

Bajrang Punia then hit back at the IOA president and has said to ANI, "We feel bad because she herself has been a sportsperson, is our icon and a woman herself, and even after that she herself being a woman is saying such things about women sportspersons and she is calling our strike as indiscipline, I ask her I want to ask that when your academy and school were being demolished, you were tweeting, then the country's dignity was not being affected. You have power, then this can happen to you, we don't even have power, the people of the country are our power." 

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Published May 3rd, 2023 at 14:45 IST