Are there equal opportunities for Indian women sportspersons?

How big is the pushback by the wrestlers?

Sharda Ugra: This is a revolutionary work. There have been sporadic complaints in the last decade and a half. But in this age of television and social media, we’ve seen senior athletes say, ‘We stand up for our community as a whole.’ An athlete of the abilities and achievements of Vinesh or Sakshi or Bajrang would speak very little and say, ‘We will not move until the Federation President leaves.’ It is a reflection of how Indian sport has changed and [how] Much of it has stayed the same.

Deepti Bopaiah: I agree Each of them understands the responsibility of being a role model. And if you’re not the change you want to see, you won’t see it [change] Happening. Many different organizations have come forward to professionalize Indian sports; We have taken small steps towards this. But something like this makes you think, ‘Are there not enough systems and processes in place?’ So, from an athlete’s side, it’s brave and brilliant; you are talking. But from the administration’s side, it makes you think, ‘Why are they doing this?’

The PT Usha-led IOA and the Athletes’ Commission were hesitant in their initial reactions. In an era where athlete-driven governance is favored, could they have done better?

Sharda Ugra: As Deepti said, ‘Are you talking as an athlete who is in an official position?’ It took more than 24 hours for both PT Usha and Mary Kom to respond. The Athletes Commission, which is supposed to be the voice of the athletes, had nothing to say. [Only] Shiv Keshavan did a tweet. Ten athletes were selected unanimously [to the Commission], You may ask, ‘What to do? Are they just placeholders?’ Now Mary Kom has been put in charge but we have not seen any decisive action or comment on a very vexing issue which I am sure she herself is very familiar with.

Deepti Bopaiah: I will answer this in two parts. I think it is very early days for PT Usha and the Athletes Commission. But I agree with Sharda that when such a bold step is taken you need some kind of acknowledgment. The second part is, when redressal committees were being set up in corporate India, much of it was about creating awareness about the roles of people: why a particular person in the committee? can i reach We still need to replicate these in Indian sports. On this issue, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the Sports Ministry have changed much faster than before, which is good. But the part that still worries me is, ‘How do you report? Who will address it and what will happen after that?’

There is more awareness and discussion about the seriousness of sexual assault crimes. But is the environment more conducive to lodge complaints today?

Deepti Bopaiah: It depends on which section of women is doing this and what is the support system behind them. today, [there is] General awareness on sexual harassment prevention with #MeToo movement. But these discussions are not happening enough in the game. This is best seen in small groups and workshops, like the ones we do at our Foundation. While women feel more confident and more courageous in raising the issue, they still make up a very small percentage.

Sharda Ugra: Female athletes, like the women in the country, are more confident about speaking up. If they come from a slightly urban set-up, they are able to talk about it freely. The fact that these wrestlers have come up and they come from a kind of rural background will give confidence to many other athletes. Recently, the case of the cyclist who complained about the coach was a great example of quick response by SAI. The cycling federation said, ‘He has been here for 24 years and we have no complaints.’ Doesn’t mean he didn’t do anything. So, these 24 years show you the kind of change that has happened.

The protests by these athletes reflect a massive imbalance in power and a lack of faith in the system. How do we fix this?

Sharda Ugra: This is a classic example of the benevolence of Shakti. The power here is the sports ministry, not the systems and structures there. The day-to-day operations of most sports associations are not run by a professional office, but by the office of whoever is the president or secretary. That’s why when there is a problem, you go straight to the top. This time, it was the Prime Minister and the Home Minister and then the Sports Minister. In a proper framework, you would have gone to the Athletes’ Commission and then the IOA. This is the reason why athletes want the Wrestling Federation of India to be restructured as there is no rung in the ladder that exists there.

Is there any effort to sensitize those in power to the problems faced by athletes?

Deepti Bopaiah: It’s a combination of things. Sexual harassment gets a lot of attention. But there are also cases of abuse of power including psychological abuse, neglect, not sending entries to competitions, etc. [imbalances] In terms of socioeconomic status and athletic ability. Therefore, efforts are being made to formalize the National Sports Code. But there are also people who do not want this to happen because the sense of power is gone. And the athlete hangs on.

Should we broaden the debate and go beyond reporting on sexual and mental harassment? Like lack of level playing field, fewer stadiums with women-centric infrastructure?

Sharda Ugra: You can handle all these things at once. It is the athlete-centric model of governance that India is grappling with. Enough competitions to participate in, better stadiums, better facilities… these are all reasonable expectations. But we don’t even know how many young boys are being abused mentally and psychologically. You will feel that female athletes will be going through a more significant degree. If you can equalize and make the coach-athlete and official-coach-athlete equations equal and respectable, that would be a great start.

Deepti Bopaiah: Respect is the word to take away. Our athletes are special. All this pride that we feel is because of his ability. Yes, others work with them, but without the athlete there is nothing. You need to give them an environment to flourish, like the Padukone-Dravid Center for Sports Excellence or the JSW setup in Ballari. We are not giving enough infrastructure and basic respect to the athletes, but we expect medals every four years. The issue of wrestling has shaken the system. It’s saying, ‘Get it done now.’

How far are we from an ideal sports governance model?

Sharda Ugra: Good distance. It would be great to start by acknowledging this. And not everything should be viewed from a medal-centric point of view either. Some of our laws are excellent, but are they being implemented? 85-90% of our unions are symbols of misgovernance. If it comes down to 40-50% then we can be happy.

Deepti Bopaiah: This is unfortunately true. But I think the private foundation and SAI are all working together. There is some accountability. But when you’re talking about a safe environment to thrive in, there are many other aspects to it. Some say, ‘Let’s get medals and other things can be ignored.’ That method is not correct. But I have seen changes over the years that give me hope. It’s great to see athletes standing up for themselves. To have the courage to say that this is not okay and that young athletes should not face challenges like this is amazing. The ball is in the administration’s court.