Vinesh Phogat says she is one of the six victims in Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh sexual harassment case
3 min readUpdated: May 3, 2026 03:05 PM IST
Vinesh Phogat, the Asian Games gold and three-time Commonwealth Games gold medal-winning wrestler, said on Sunday that she is one of the six victims in the sexual harrasment case against former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. Vinesh further said that the Indian government would be responsible if anything happens to her or members of her team at the upcoming National Open Ranking tournament, where she is looking to make a comeback to competitive wrestling after nearly 20 months, which is being hosted in Gonda, Uttar Pradesh.
“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.
Here is the video that Vinesh posted:
🇮🇳🙏 pic.twitter.com/hQrGmMLMrS
— Vinesh Phogat (@Phogat_Vinesh) May 3, 2026
“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 has alleged it would be “impossible” to expect “hard-working athletes to get their due” at the tournament. “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.”
Vinesh had earlier flagged the WFI’s attempt to block her from competing. She later confirmed on Tuesday that her registration for her comeback tournament was finally done. “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.
Vinesh had said she had been hoping to make a comeback at the National Open Ranking Tournament, the registration for which was open till April 30. However, when she had tried to register, the portal said it was closed. She had also reached out to WFI officials but did not get a response.
To be updated…
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