'Committee will finalise and give report to IOA later about sexual abuse claims against WFI chief' - PT Usha

By Team Newsable | First Published Mar 12, 2023, 10:51 AM IST

WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh has been under the scanner for sexual abuse allegations by female wrestlers. With IOA investigating, IOA chief PT Usha has attested that the report for the same will soon be submitted.

The committee formed by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to probe sexual abuse allegations against sidelined Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh is yet to submit its report, and IOA president PT Usha said it is taking time since "it is a sensitive issue". The IOA had on January 20 formed a seven-member committee headed by the legendary boxer MC Mary Kom to investigate the allegations of sexual harassment against the WFI president by some of the country's top wrestlers.

"It [report] is not finalised. It is going on. We met the players [wrestlers]. The [IOA] committee will finalise and give the report to the IOA later," Usha told PTI after presiding over the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the IOA in Delhi on Saturday.

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"It is a sensitive issue, and it has to be done well. Very soon, we will do that. It happened when [just after] we took charge. It was with the ministry earlier. Both the ministry and IOA have constituted committees," Usha said when asked if there was any deadline for submitting the report.

ALSO READ: Oversight Committee gets two more weeks to complete probe into sexual harassment allegations against WFI chief

The IOA panel was formed after the agitating wrestlers, including Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat, Deepak Punia and Ravi Dahiya, had demanded the formation of an enquiry committee to probe the allegations against Singh. The government had formed an oversight committee under Mary Kom to investigate the charges levelled by the wrestlers. Singh had appeared before the oversight committee of the government on February 28 and had outrightly rejected all the accusations.

The IOA AGM, the first after Usha took charge in December last year, also decided to stage the 37th National Games in Goa towards the end of October or early part of November. The IOA wants Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inaugurate the Games, and the dates of the multi-sport event could be fixed depending on his availability.

"We will organise the National Games in Goa, and 90 per cent of work is already completed there. The dates are not yet fixed. It can be from October end to November 12 like that. We want the Prime Minister to inaugurate the National Games. According to the time of his availability, we will fix the dates [of the Games]," said Usha, the sprint queen of the 1980s.

ALSO READ: Government expresses unhappiness with wrestlers' manners, doubtful to reconstitute oversight committee

The Goa government has expressed its readiness to host the Games after multiple delays due to infrastructure-related issues. Some officials of the IOA want the National Games to end before Diwali, which falls on November 12. Earlier last month, state government officials, including the sports minister, met Usha and the IOA top brass.

Recently, the Games Technical Conduct Committee (GTCC) of the IOA, under the chairmanship of its executive council member Amitabh Sharma, made an inspection and declared that Goa is ready for the National Games. Thirty-seven sports disciplines have been approved, and a few more traditional games may also be included later.

Goa was to host the 36th edition of the National Games in 2016, but it did not happen due to multiple delays, mainly relating to infrastructure construction. Gujarat then hosted the event in September-October last year. Regarding the appointment of the Chief Executive Officer of the IOA, Usha said, "We have called for applications. We had norms [criteria], but only one application was up to the mark. We need more [applications]. So, we will advertise [for the post] again."

ALSO READ: 'We were assured that we will be consulted before formation of oversight committee' - Protesting wrestlers

IOA Joint secretary and All India Football Federation President Kalyan Chaubey have been discharging the functions of the CEO so far. Under the new Constitution drafted by a Supreme Court-constituted panel and approved by the International Olympic Committee, the IOA was to appoint a CEO who would perform the functions of the erstwhile Secretary General.

The CEO will be an ex-officio member of the Executive Council without voting rights. The IOA had earlier called for applications for the post to be submitted on January 31. One of the eligibility criteria for the said post is that the candidate should be a "management professional with an experience of no less than ten years as the CEO of a company/entity with an annual turnover of no less than ₹25 crores".

Article 15.3 of the amended IOA constitution also says that "the CEO shall be proposed by a nomination committee comprising the (IOA) president, chairman of the Athletes Commission and one IOC member from India".

(With inputs from PTI)

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