In the wake of the suspension of the newly elected panel members of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) established a three-member ad hoc committee on Wednesday, 27 December, at the request of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) to supervise and manage the governing body's operations.
As per the reports, the committee will be chaired by Bhupinder Singh Bajwa, who holds the position of president in the Wushu Association of India. The other two members include MM Somaya, an Olympian in hockey, and former international badminton player Manjusha Kanwar.
Sports ministry suspended the Sanjay Singh-led new WFI body three days after the elections over the announcement to hold U15 and U20 nationals and has asked IOA to establish a temporary panel to oversee the operations of WFI.
On 21 December, the day Singh assumed the role of WFI president, he declared that national trials for wrestling in the U-15 and U-20 categories would be conducted in Uttar Pradesh's Gonda before the conclusion of this year.
“Since Wrestling is an Olympic sport and WFI is an affiliate member of the Indian Olympic Association (IA) and 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. 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 10A 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 letter written to the IOA from the Sports Ministry, headed by Anurag Thakur read.
“In view of the above, it is requested that an Ad-Hoc Committee may be constituted by the IOA to manage and control the affairs of WFI, 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,” it added.
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