Vinesh Phogat claimed on Sunday that she was among the victims of sexual harassment by former WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, and is one of six wrestlers who have filed complaints against him.
The wrestler, who is set to return to the mat after nearly 20 months, said she was ‘forced’ to make this admission in the middle of a court case because the WFI decided to conduct a crucial ranking tournament in Brij Bhushan’s backyard, Gonda. Vinesh said there will be a ‘lot of mental pressure’ to compete there, and accused the government of being mere ‘spectators’. She went on to warn that if anything happened to her during the competition, they (the government) would be held responsible.
Speaking in a video she posted on her social media platforms, Vinesh said: “No one is coming forward to help the players. It’s like they (the government) have given a free hand to Brij Bhushan; that you do whatever you want, whether you do something with women wrestlers, whether you do anything with the wrestling world. We are standing with you.”
🇮🇳🙏 pic.twitter.com/hQrGmMLMrS
— Vinesh Phogat (@Phogat_Vinesh) May 3, 2026
Responding to her statement, WFI president Sanjay Singh said he will ‘personally guarantee’ her safety but added Vinesh, who is also a Congress MLA, shouldn’t politicise the issue. “I am giving Vinesh my personal guarantee about her protection. As WFI president, I promise her and her team that they will be completely safe in Gonda. I will ensure her safety. Please do come and give your best on the mat,” he told The Indian Express. “On the other hand, if she wants to play politics, it is her choice. Also, the case is in court, so I won’t comment on that. Let the truth come out.”
Vinesh, who walked away from the sport after the Paris Olympics heartbreak, said she was preparing to return at the National Open Ranking tournament. It is the final chance for wrestlers to qualify for the Asian Games selection trials.
The Ranking tournament is scheduled to take place from May 10 to 12 at the Nandininagar Mahavidyalaya in Gonda, Uttar Pradesh. Brij Bhushan is the founder of the Nandinagar Mahavidyalaya and is a former MP from Gonda. He is facing trial in a Delhi court after some of the country’s top women wrestlers accused him of sexual harassment in 2023. Vinesh was at the forefront of those protests along with Olympic medallists Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik.
Vinesh said it was ‘impossible’ that the competition would be held fairly and expressed concerns over whether the weigh-in process and the bouts would be compromised.
“A month ago, a competition was announced by the Wrestling Federation of India. A ranking tournament. This tournament is being organised at Gonda, UP, where Brij Bhushan’s home is, and he has his own private college,” she said. “It is impossible that a hardworking player will get her due there. Which referee will officiate which match, who will give how many points, where will the match chairman sit, who has to win and who has to lose… all that will be controlled by Brij Bhushan and his people.”
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Responding to this accusation, Sanjay Singh said: “There are approximately 1200 entries for the National Open Ranking tournament in Gonda, of which about 800 are from Haryana wrestlers. None of the other wrestler an objection. If Vinesh is worried about biased refereeing, I can assure her that all the referees chosen will be from the Wrestling Federation of India and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) panel. This is a fair selection, and neither Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh nor I have a say in who will be the referee.”
Brij Bhushan has been found liable for prosecution for sexual harassment, molestation and stalking of women wrestlers in a Delhi Police chargesheet. Six women wrestlers had filed a complaint of sexual harassment in April 2023, and the country’s top wrestlers had protested for two months at Jantar Mantar, demanding his arrest.
Vinesh said: “Three years ago, we also raised our voices against sexual harassment (by Brij Bhushan). There is a case pending in the court related to that. Six women players had complained, and based on that, the hearing is going on. The Supreme Court’s guideline is that no victim’s identity should be revealed because it is a matter of their dignity and honour.
“Today, there are certain things I feel compelled to share. I had stayed silent because the case is still pending in court, and the truth will soon come out before the country. But I want to say this – I am one of the six victims who filed complaints, and our testimonies are ongoing.
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“You can imagine what it’s like for me to go to his hometown, to compete in his own college, where almost everyone is connected to him and represents him. To step into that environment and compete under such circumstances is incredibly difficult. As athletes, we already carry immense mental pressure—our team has expectations, and the entire country is watching, expecting us to perform,” Vinesh said.
In this backdrop, Vinesh added it would be ‘very difficult for a guirk to compete in such a situation’. “I am doing my best, with a lot of hard work and honesty. Just like I won medals for the first time for the country, with the blessings of God, with the help of all of you, I want to step on the wrestling mat and win many medals for the country once again. I want to maintain the honour of our flag.”
Vinesh concluded the video by saying that if she or anyone from her team is harmed during the competition, she will hold the government responsible for it.
“Even today, Brij Bhushan claims he holds sway over the wrestling federation. His people are running the federation. But still, the sports ministry or the government has not taken any step. If I go to that competition, my team will be there with me. If any incident happens with anyone, then I want to tell you all that the government will be responsible for it,” she said. “Because that man, Brij Bhushan, who himself speaks on camera that he had murdered a man and still he did not get any punishment, so you can think that what his mentality is, and what he can do. I do not want any privilege or any special treatment for myself. I just want that the decision on the mat should be based on the hard work of every player. Not through any goon, whoever wants to win, whoever wants to lose.”
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The ranking tournament offers wrestlers who missed the 2025 National Championships and the 2026 Federation Cup a last chance to be eligible for the Asian Games selection trials. The WFI’s Asian Games selection policy stated that, among the seniors, only the medallists at these two competitions will be allowed to participate in the trials. Medallists at the Open Ranking tournament, however, will be picked for the national camp and thus are likely to be eligible for the selection trials.
