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Following the suspension of the newly-elected Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), the Sports Ministry on December 24 directed the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to establish an ad-hoc body for the administration and oversight of WFI affairs.
The ministry suspended WFI until further notice, citing the newly-elected body's "hasty announcement" of organising the U-15 and U-20 nationals without proper procedures and inadequate notice for wrestler preparations.
The ministry has requested the IOA to promptly form the ad-hoc panel.
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"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, under secretary to the Government of India.
“This requires for immediate and stringent corrective measures to uphold the principles of good governance in sports organizations, and thus, now it becomes incumbent on part of the IOA to to make suitable arrangements for the interim 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 jeopradised”, he said in the letter addressed to IOA President PT Usha.
The WFI elections took place on December 21, resulting in the victory of Sanjay Singh and his panel, who are loyal to former president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
Before the elections, an ad-hoc body appointed by the IOA managed the WFI affairs following the resignation of former president Brij Bhushan. Bhupender Singh Bajwa, who also held the position of the president of the Wushu Federation of India, headed the ad-hoc body during that period.
Renowned wrestler Bajrang Punia, along with Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik, spearheaded the protest against Brij Bhushan. In protest against Sanjay's presidency, Bajrang returned his Padma Shri award to the government on December 22. This move followed Malik's decision to quit wrestling for the same reason a day earlier.
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