Wrestling

"If the destination is big, keep your spirits high," she said in another tweet. Vinesh's tweet came a day after the reports claiming that a plea was moved in the Delhi High Court against multiple wrestlers, including Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia by WFI chief.

"The Ministry of Sports has communicated to the Wrestling Federation of India on Saturday that in view of the Government's decision to appoint an Oversight Committee to investigate the various allegations raised by athletes against the Federation, WFI will suspend all ongoing activities with immediate effect, unless the Oversight Committee is formally appointed and takes over the day to day functioning of WFI," the ministry said in a statement.

"We will wait for the time given to us, the one month's time. We will wait for justice and then decide what to do next. We have full trust in our government that justice will be done. No protest is taking place tomorrow. Nothing such is happening," Bajrang cleared. Late on Friday night, the aggrieved grapplers called off their protest after getting assurances from the government that their grievances would be addressed

The protesting wrestlers have accused the WFI of arbitrariness, mismanagement, misgovernance and bias in selection as harassment of wrestlers by its coaches and president. "The WFI is managed by an elected body as per its constitution, and therefore, there is no scope for arbitrariness and mismanagement in WFI by anyone individually, including the president.

Sources close to the wrestlers told IANS, that the grapplers are feeling "cheated" and could resume their protest till Brij Bhushan is sacked. They are also unhappy that the national trials are continuing in Lucknow without them. "Wrestlers are not at all happy. They feel they were fooled by the ministry.

The protest has now entered its third day, with no immediate solution in view. The protesting grapplers are sticking to their demands of removal of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief, dissolution of the wrestling body and formation of a new committee to run its affairs. Understandably, these players, who have won laurels for the country, are getting support for their courage.

The meeting lasted beyond midnight, following which wrestler Bajrang Punia announced to the media that the other wrestlers are calling off the protest after assurance of action from Thakur against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI). The wrestlers have been staging a protest since Wednesday, accusing WFI President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh of sexual harassment of women wrestlers.

As per Singh's election affidavit, three of the cases against him are pending in Allahabad court and one in a Lucknow court. As per record, out of four pending cases, charges were framed against him in two cases and one of the cases includes charges of attempt to murder and under the Arms Act.

Punia said, they "have only one demand which is to dissolve the federation" adding that the protesting wrestlers will go back to their homes if their demands are fulfilled by the government. "Still, many players are scared that there are many tournaments ahead, and what will happen to them. So, we have cancelled them. Hopefully, this information will reach to the young athletes through media," Punia added.

Mahavir's comments came a day after several wrestlers, including Olympic medalists Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia, protested at the Jantar Mantar against the functioning of the WFI and its president. On Wednesday, Vinesh Phogat alleged that Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and a few other coaches at national camps in Lucknow sexually harassed female wrestlers.