Centre directs Indian Olympic Association to constitute panel to run wrestling body

Within hours of suspending the newly-elected body of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) amid a row with wrestlers, the Sports Ministry has asked the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to form a temporary panel to run the wrestling body.

In a letter to the IOA chief, the Sports Ministry said the temporary committee can manage and control the affairs of the WFI including selection of athletes. “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,” the Sports Ministry said in the letter.

Earlier, the ministry suspended the new WFI body led by Sanjay Singh, a close aide of former WFI chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh who has been facing sexual harassment charges from women wrestlers.

The ministry announced its decision early this morning, citing that the WFI body had shown complete disregard for the existing rules and regulations. In an official release, the Sports Ministry said that the announcement for national competitions was hasty and that due process was not followed. 

The WFI elections were held on December 21 with former president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh's loyalist, Sanjay Singh, and his panel winning the polls by big margins.

Done with sport: Brij Bhushan

Meanwhile, in the aftermath of these developments since morning, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh said he is “done” with the sport and the newly-elected body will now take care of it as he has many more responsibilities to look into, including next year’s Lok Sabha elections.

“Whatever has to be done with regards to wrestling in India, it has to be done by the new elected body,” he said. “I have nothing to do with the sport now. I have other responsibilities to focus now. I will be away from politics of this sport,” he added.

Athletes hail move

On the other hand, top athletes have welcomed the Sports Ministry's move to suspend the newly elected management of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), but they also said the action came late.

Vijender Singh, the first Indian boxer to win an Olympic medal, who has been supporting the wrestlers' fight against Brij Bhushan, said the Centre should have stepped in much earlier. “They made the woman to quit wrestling, the man to return the Padma Shri, and now they have suspended the wrestling federation. Action should have been taken earlier,” Vijender Singh said in a post on X.

Olympian and wrestler Geeta Phogat in a post on X said she is confident wrestlers will finally get justice. “Sports Ministry has suspended the Wrestling Federation of India. Even though it is late, there is a ray of hope that wrestlers will get justice,” Phogat said.

Top wrestler Bajrang Punia, who along with Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik, had led the agitation against Brij Bhushan, had returned his Padma Shri award to the government on Friday in protest against Sanjay Singh becoming WFI President. This came a day after Sakshi Malik quit wrestling for the same reason.

(With agency inputs)