India's sports ministry announced its five-member oversight committee to investigate the various allegations raised by athletes against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) on Monday, January 23. But two-time Olympic-medal-winning grappler Bajrang Punia has now voiced his displeasure at the newly-formed team, saying that they were not consulted despite being told that they would.
"Humein aashvaasan diya gaya tha ki oversight committee ke gathan se pehle humse paramarsh kiya jayega. Bade dukh ki baat hai ki is committee ke gathan se pehle humse rai bhi nahi li gayi. (We were assured that we would be consulted before the Oversight Committee was formed. It is very sad that we were not even consulted before the formation of this committee)," Bajrang tweeted on Tuesday, January 24.
The committee was formed by the Sports Ministry at the behest of sports minister Anurag Thakur, who made the official announcement on Monday, January 23.
"The oversight committee will be headed by world champion MC Mary Kom. She will be joined by former Olympian and medal-winner Yogeshwar Dutt. Tripti Murgunde, a member of the Mission Olympic Cell, will also be a part of the committee. Former CEO of TOPS (Target Olympic Podium Scheme), Captain Rajgopal and Radhica Sriman, former ED (teams) of the Sports Authority of India, will make up the five-member committee," he said while addressing the media.
The committee was made after the Sports Ministry suspended all the ongoing activities of the WFI with immediate effect unless the Oversight Committee is formally appointed and takes over the day-to-day functioning of the WFI.
The Sports Ministry has asked the WFI to cancel the ongoing Ranking Tournament in Gonda, UP and to return the entry fees charged to participants for the ongoing event.
In yet another decision, the Sports Ministry has issued an order to suspend the Assistant Secretary of WFI, Shri. Vinod Tomar, with immediate effect, to ensure the proper functioning of WFI.
