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The Indian Olympic Association on Wednesday formed an ad-hoc committee on Wednesday to look into the matters of the federation just days after the newly elected Wrestling Federation of India body was suspended by the Sports Ministry.
The committee will be led by Wushu Association of India Bhupinder Singh Bajwa who is the chairman and will also consist of Olympian MM Somaya and former international badminton player Manjusha Kanwar.
Last Sunday, after suspending the elected WFI body, the Sports Ministry had requested the IOA to constitute an ad-hoc committee to manage and control affairs of the federation.
It was learnt that the Ministry had written to the IOA President to ensure that the affairs of WFI be controlled “as per the defined role of NSFs in the National Sports Development Code of India-2011, including the selection of athletes, making entries for the participation of sportspersons in international events, holding of sporting activities, etc. with immediate effect, until further orders.
The development had come hours after the ministry had suspended the newly elected body, noting that the ‘newly elected body appears to be in complete control of former office bearers’.
Last Thursday Sanjay Singh, a close aide of former chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, had been appointed as the new WFI chief. Singh’s appointment was opposed by wrestlers Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia, who had been central members of the wrestlers protests this year against the former WFI President Brij Bhushan, alleging him of sexual misconduct and harassment. While Sakshi announced her retirement in protest, Bajrang returned his Padma Shri award.
Following the announcement from the ministry though, Brij Bhushan has told the PTI, “Whatever has to be done with regards to wrestling in India, it has to be done by the new elected body. I have nothing to do with the sport now. I have other responsibilities to focus now. I will be away from the politics of this sport.”
Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday met Olympic bronze medallist Bajrang Punia and other wrestlers at Jhajjar in Haryana amidst the row.
Bajrang had returned his Padma Shri on Friday in protest over Sanjay’s election as president in the WFI polls last week.
Gandhi, a former Congress president, met and interacted with the wrestlers at the Virendra Akhada at Jhajjar’s Chhara village where Bajrang began his journey in the sport.
“He (Rahul Gandhi) came to see our routine (training). He did wrestling and exercise with me. He came to see what is the day-to-day life of a wrestler,” Bajrang told reporters.
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