IOA calls for urgent meeting of Executive Council to discuss about wrestlers' grievances

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has called for an urgent meeting of its Executive Council on January 20 after they received a letter from five of the country's top wrestlers: Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, Ravi Kumar Dahiya and Deepak Punia. The meeting will take place at 5:45 PM IST.

IOA to hold urgent meeting to discuss wrestlers' concerns

The IOA released an official statement on January 20 to confirm that they would be holding an urgent meeting to discuss the serious allegations made by the wrestlers against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and its president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. Their statement read,

"The points raised in the athletes' letter are of a very important nature and require immediate attention. Therefore, the President, IOA has desired to call an urgent online meeting of the IOA Executive Council, today 20th January 2022 at 5:45 PM."

@PMOIndia @AmitShah @ianuragthakur @PTUshaOfficial pic.twitter.com/PwhJjlawPg

— Vinesh Phogat (@Phogat_Vinesh) January 20, 2023

The statement added that the agenda of this urgent meeting was to 'discuss and decide on the letter received from wrestling athletes, Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, Ravi Dahiya, and Deepak Punia."

This urgent meeting would be held following a letter that was sent out to IOA chief PT Usha earlier in the day. In the letter, wrestlers highlighted four major demands. Their demands included

1) Appointment of a committee to investigate sexual harassment complaints.

2) Resignation of WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

3) Dissolution of WFI.

4) Appointment of a new committee to run WFI, in consultation with wrestlers.