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Suspended WFI officials plan response, IOA to name ad hoc panel
Sanjay Singh, president of the newly elected body that was suspended on Sunday, could not meet the union sports minister on Monday
A day after the union sports ministry suspended the Wrestling Federation of India's (WFI) newly elected executive committee, the focus shifted on Monday to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), which has been tasked to form an ad-hoc committee. The apex body headed by track legend PT Usha is expected to announce the panel on Tuesday.
"No meetings were held today due to Christmas holiday. We will try and announce the ad hoc committee on Tuesday," a senior IOA official said. The federation is being placed under an ad hoc panel for the second time. In April, IOA had constituted a two-member panel to run WFI after it was suspended by the sports ministry. Wushu Association of India president Bhupender Singh Bajwa and rifle coach Suma Shirur took charge first. Wrestling coaches Gian Singh and Ashok Garg were added to the committee to lend technical expertise.
The Bajwa-led committee's tenure ended this month with the WFI elections. "I haven't been approached by IOA yet, neither have I got in touch with them. If asked, I'll be open to take up the responsibility again," Bajwa said.
Sanjay Singh, who was elected president last Thursday, said he was planning to challenge the sports ministry's suspension of the federation in court. He tried to meet sports minister Anurag Thakur on Monday but could not.
"I couldn't meet the sports minister today," he said. “I plan to consult legal experts for the next couple of days before deciding on approaching the court.”
A WFI official who didn't wish to be quoted said that former federation president and BJP leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, a sitting Lok Sabha MP, and Sanjay are seeking to open a dialogue with the government, but the consensus is steadily building towards challenging the suspension in court.
Brij Bhushan, a five-time BJP MP representing Kaiserganj in Uttar Pradesh, is facing charges of sexual harassment from six female wrestlers. The case is being heard in Delhi's Rouse Avenue court. The Delhi Police filed a chargesheet against Brij Bhushan and his erstwhile secretary Vinod Tomar. The judge, Priyanka Rajpoot, has set the hearing in January first week.
On Sunday, after meeting BJP president JP Nadda, Brij Bhushan announced his 'retirement' from all things connected to wrestling administration.
The WFI official said: "We want to engage with the government before going to court. Brij Bhushan wanted to meet the union home minister Amit Shah while Sanjay was keen on meeting Anurag Thakur on Monday, but neither succeeded. It shouldn't be long before they petition the court. WFI has a strong case because the ministry's action amount to interference in our affairs. WFI polls were cleared by the Supreme Court and conducted in the presence of a Returning Officer and a UWW (world wrestling body) observer."
