WFI
IOC forms temporary wrestling body days after federation suspended over protests
New Delhi/IBNS: The Indian Olympic Association has formed a temporary committee to run the affairs of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), days after the Centre suspended its newly elected administration over protest by wrestlers.
The ad hoc committee will be headed by Bhupinder Singh Bajwa and the members are MM Somaya and Manjusha Kanwar.
The IOA said it was appointing a new ad hoc committee to ensure fair play, accountability, and transparency.
"The Indian Olympic Association has recently become aware that the recently appointed President and officials of the WFI have made arbitrary decisions in violation of their own constitutional provisions and against the principles of good governance espoused by the IOC and further without following due process overturned the rulings of the IOA appointed ad hoc committee," read the letter from IOC chief PT Usha.
This comes after the Sports Ministry asked the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to set up an interim panel to oversee the operations of the wrestling federation.
The newly appointed panel headed was by Sanjay Singh, who is a close aide of former Wrestling Federation chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. It was suspended on Sunday, amid a flurry of protests by wrestlers including Olympic medallist Sakshee Malikkh.
The wrestlers, who had carried out a long protest against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh since last winter after several women wrestlers accused him of sexual exploitation, went on the warpath again after Sanjay Singh's appointment, saying the ex-chief was out to control the federation by proxy.
Brij Bhushan Singh escalated the matter, stating that his dominance in the sports body would continue. Soon after, Sakshee Malikkh, who was at the forefront of the protest against Brij Bhushan, announced that she was quitting the sport. It was followed by wrestler Bajrang Punia announcing the return of his Padma Shri award to the government.
Ace wrestler Vinesh Phogat, who protested fiercely against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, also declared her intention to return the Khel Ratna and Arjuna Awards.
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