Sports Ministry asks Indian Olympic Association to form panel to run Wrestling Federation of India

The Sports Ministry has asked the Indian Olympic Association to form a panel to run the Wrestling Federation of India after the suspension of the newly elected WFI members.

New Delhi: Shortly after suspending the wrestling body, the Centre has asked the Indian Olympic Association to form panel to run Wrestling Federation of India. The Sports Ministry has requested Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to constitute an ad-hoc committee to manage and control affairs of Wresting Federation of India (WFI). The committee will be formed within the next 48 hours after the directive.

“Taking note of the compelling current situation arising out of the influence and control of the WFI's former office-bearers, serious concerns have arisen about the governance and integrity of the WFI,” said the letter signed by Tarun Pareek, undersecretary to the Centre.

“This requires for immediate and stringent corrective measures to uphold the principles of good governance in sports organisations, and thus, now it becomes incumbent on the part of the IOA to make suitable arrangements for the interim period for managing the affairs of WFI, so that sportspersons of wrestling discipline do not suffer in any manner and the principle of good governance in the sports body do not get jeopardised."

Earlier in the day, the sports ministry suspended the newly formed WFI governing body as they took the decision of holding national championships at junior level in a haste without following the code of conduct which is required to be followed. Also, there was a lot of uproar from the wrestlers after the appointment of Sanjay Singh as WFI president who is a close aide of Brij Bhushan.

Wrestlers Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia, and Vinesh Phogat had protested earlier this year against Brij Bhushan by accusing him of sexually harassing women grapplers while taking to the streets. After the appointment of Sanjay Singh, Sakhi Malik announced her quitting the sport while Bajrang gave up his Padma Shri award and placed it on a footpath in New Delhi.

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