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By Alok Ranjan: Legendary athlete and president of the Indian Olympic Association PT Usha alleged encroachment and hooliganism at her athletics academy in Kerala’s Balussery on February 4. She also pleaded with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to assist in ending the ongoing trouble.
PT Usha, during a press conference in New Delhi, said that since she was elected as a member of the Rajya Sabha last year, there had been more instances of encroachment and hooliganism.
Usha, who sobbed in front of the press in the nation’s capital, expressed worry for the safety of female athletes at her academy – Usha School of Athletics.
Also Read | ‘Sad to see a sports icon…’: How people from diverse fields reacted to PT Usha’s remarks on wrestlers
Usha’s accusations followed after she claimed that some individuals recently barged into the institution and started doing construction work. After the local police station received a formal complaint, the encroachers were expelled from the academy.
Now her stand relating to the protesting wrestlers is somehow different in relation to the safety of female athletes.
Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president PT Usha on Thursday said the grapplers lacked discipline as they hit the streets to protest against the WFI chief. She told reporters that wrestlers should have approached IOA rather than recommencing their public protest against WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. “Wrestlers staging protests on the streets amounts to indiscipline. It is tarnishing the image of India,” Usha said.
Several wrestlers, notably Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat, and Bajrang Punia, have been fighting for justice, accusing the WFI president, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, of harassing players sexually.
Also Read | Sad that PT Usha didn’t understand pain of women athletes despite being a woman, says Bajrang
Protesting wrestlers hit back at PT Usha after her indiscipline comment. Speaking to ANI, Sakshi Malik said, “Being a woman athlete, she (PT Usha) isn’t listening to other women athletes. Where’s indiscipline here, we are sitting here peacefully…She herself cried in front of the media regarding her academy.”
Reacting to PT Usha’s statement, Bajrang Punia criticised her for not understanding the pain of women athletes despite being a woman. “I feel sad after knowing PT Usha mam’s comment because we consider her a good athlete. She didn’t understand the pain of women despite being a woman. For the last three months, we have been waiting for justice and now when they are calling it indiscipline, I think they can’t understand the pain of athletes despite being a woman. I feel very sad,” Punia said.
The protesting wrestlers have cornered PT Usha’s current stand vis-a-vis what she had said in February relating to the safety of female athletes in her academy.
Also Read | Can’t we protest as well? Sakshi Malik on PT Usha’s ‘indiscipline’ comment amid WFI controversy
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