Indian Olympic Association forms ad hoc panel to manage wrestling days after WFI suspension

Top wrestlers launched a protest earlier this year against then WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, accusing him of sexual harassment

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on December 27 announced the formation of an ad hoc committee to control and manage wrestling in India, days after the suspension of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) by the Union sports ministry.

The three-member committee would be headed by Bhupinder Singh Bajwa, an IOA member and president of the Wushu Association of India, reports said, adding that former hockey player MM Somaya and badminton player Manjusha Kanwar have been appointed as its members.

The panel would ensure transparency, accountability and fair play in the nationwide management of wrestling, IOA was reported as saying in a statement.

"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," NDTV quoted a letter issued by IOC chief PT Usha as stating.

Centre cracks whip

WFI, which was the country's nodal wrestling body, was suspended "till further orders" by the sports ministry on December 24, three days after a Sanjay Singh, a close aide of BJP MP and former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, was elected as its president.

The sports ministry, in its statement, cited the WFI's "hasty announcement" of organising the Under-15 and Under-20 national trials "without giving sufficient notice to wrestlers to prepare" as the reason behind its decision to suspend the wrestling body.

Singh had announced on December 21, the day he was elected as WFI president, that U-15 and U-20 national trials for wrestling will take place in Uttar Pradesh's Gonda before the end of this year.

"This announcement was hasty, without giving sufficient notice to wrestlers who are to take part in the said nationals and without following the provisions of the constitution of WFI," a sports ministry official told news agency PTI.

The development came in the aftermath of Sakshi Malik, one of the country's top female wrestlers and Olympic medallist, announcing her decision to "quit wrestling" to protest against the election of Sanjay Singh as the WFI chief. This was followed by wrestler and Olympic medallist Bajrang Punia "returning" his Padma Shri on December 22 to mark his angst against the election of Brij Bhushan's aide as the WFI chief.

A number of wrestlers, including Punia, Malik, and World Championship medalist Vinesh Phogat have accused Brij Bhushan of sexually harassing female wrestlers during his tenure as the WFI chief. The case is being heard in the Delhi High Court.

Brij Bhushan, while responding to media queries on December 24 over the suspension of WFI, said he was "done" with wrestling.

"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," he said.