NEW DELHI: Indian Olympic Association president PT Usha on Wednesday visited the wrestlers who have been sitting on a protest demanding the removal of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) Chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. PT Usha met with the wrestlers 11 days after the wrestlers launched the protest at Jantar Mandar in Delhi. Earlier, a controversy had erupted when Usha criticized the wrestlers for staging the protest.

Usha was seen conversing with wrestlers Sakshee Malikkh, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia at the site. Although Usha did not respond to the media, protesting wrestler Bajrang Punia said that Usha had expressed her support to the protesters. Punia, however, added that they will go ahead with the protest until Brij Bhushan is arrested.

#WATCH | Indian Olympic Association president PT Usha reached Delhi's Jantar Mantar where wrestlers are protesting since 11 days. pic.twitter.com/Vs3Lp1ZHaO

— ANI (@ANI) May 3, 2023

On April 27 Usha had said that the wrestlers should have approached the IOA instead of going out in the streets against the WFI and its president, whom the wrestlers accused of sexual harassment and mismanagement of athletes.

"Indian Olympic Association (IOA) is having a committee for sexual harassment, instead of going to the streets they (protesting wrestlers) could have come to us earlier but they did not come to IOA. It is not good for sports not only for wrestlers, they should also have some discipline," the IOA president had told journalists earlier.

Wrestlers had expressed their disappointment at her remarks.

"Being a woman athlete, she (PT Usha) is not listening to other women athletes. We have followed her since childhood and got inspired by her. Where is indiscipline here, we are sitting here peacefully," Sakshee Malikkh told journalists.