New Delhi: The ten-member Athletes Commission of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) wanted to issue a statement in solidarity with wrestlers who are protesting against Wrestling Federation of India chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, but reportedly could not because a senior member of the body stopped them.Six of the Commission’s 10 members were reportedly present at Saturday’s meeting. Some of the members have reportedly felt upset that the Commission has not been proactively supporting the protesting wrestlers, with one even wanting to go to Jantar Mantar before they were stopped by another member, Hindustan Times reported.Two members of the Commission have told Hindustan Times that everything had been decided on Saturday (about issuing a statement). “We were all on the same page. We agreed that the AC has largely failed the wrestlers. There has not been a single statement acknowledging them, neither in January nor in April,” they said.“So, it was decided we put out a public statement in support of the wrestlers. The letter was drafted but just before we were to make it public, it was blocked,” one of the members told the newspaper. The two made it clear that the members Commission who attended Saturday’s meeting had decided to issue a statement. However, not all members where present – including chairperson Mary Kom, who is also the head of the government-appointed panel to probe the allegations of sexual and verbal harassment against Singh.Also read: ‘Everyone Can Find Courage Within Themselves!’ – An Interview with Olympic Wrestler Sakshi Malik“A majority of those who attended the meeting wanted the statement to go out, but since only six members were present, it was not really AC’s majority,” a member who was at the meeting told Hindustan Times.According to The Indian Express, Winter Olympian Shiva Keshavan had drafted the statement, which used neutral wording and pushed for proper mechanisms in place for safe sport. While the draft was agreed upon during the meeting, London Games bronze medallist Gagan Narang said on their WhatsApp group later that it was “too late” to issue a statement. Narang is also the vice-president of the IOA.The IOA’s role in the current controversy has already come under the scanner because of the statement made by the body’s president, P.T. Usha. “The players should not have protested on the streets. They should have at least waited for the report of the committee. What they have done is not good for the game and the country. It is a negative approach,” Usha said. She also said that the protest “amounts to indiscipline”.Several wrestlers who have won medals at prestigious international tournaments including Sakshi Malikkh, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia resumed their protest against the WFI chief on April 23, three months after ending their dharna after an oversight committee was probed to examine allegations of sexual harassment. While the report has not yet been made public, the wrestlers say it has not been able to do them justice. The wrestlers are also protesting the Delhi Police’s delay in registering an FIR against Singh.Also read: Wrestlers’ Protest: Have ‘Facts and Logic’ Finally Started to Kick in With BJP Supporters?At a press conference on Monday, Punia, who has been one of the leading faces of the protest, said that the Asian Games were important, but “justice for the daughters” who had been harassed by Singh was even more important. “We want to play, it’s not as if we don’t want to go to the Asian Games,” he said. “But I believe that gaining justice for the daughters of this country is far more important than an Asian medal.” His remarks specific to the Asian Games are because at this time, the players would otherwise have been busy preparing for these games.Punia also expressed displeasure with the media coverage of the protests, saying that the media seemed to be supporting Singh. “Look at his [Singh’s] criminal record, there’s no questions over that. When we get medals for the country, questions are asked over that,” he said.