IOA dissolves ad-hoc committee for wrestling, WFI regains control

The IOA highlighted the successful collaboration between the ad-hoc committee and the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) in conducting the selection trials for the upcoming Olympic qualifying tournament next month.

Team Asianet Newsable

First Published Mar 18, 2024, 6:03 PM IST | Last Updated Mar 18, 2024, 6:03 PM IST

The Indian Olympic Association announced on Monday the dissolution of the ad-hoc committee for wrestling, citing the "no further need" for its existence following the reinstatement of the national federation's suspension. With the national federation now regaining complete administrative control of the sport, the decision was made.

Formed in December last year, the ad-hoc committee was established after the sports ministry suspended the WFI. However, the WFI received a boost when the suspension imposed by the global governing body, United World Wrestling, was lifted in February.

"The decision to dissolve the Adhoc Committee comes in light of the lifting of the ban on the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) by the United World Wrestling (UWW) and the successful completion of Selection Trials by the Adhoc Committee appointed by the IOA as per the directives of the Hon'ble High Court of Delhi," said the IOA order issued on March 10.

Sanjay Singh, the chief of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), expressed gratitude to the Indian Olympic Association for entrusting his elected panel with control of the national federation.

"We thank IOA for giving us full-fledged control of the WFI. We will give all facilities to the wresters. We will soon organise a national camp and if the wrestlers want to train abroad we will facilitate that as well. The focus is now on the Olympics. We are hoping that 5-6 wrestlers will qualify," Singh told PTI.

On December 23, a three-member committee chaired by Bhupender Singh Bajwa was formed after allegations that the newly-elected Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), led by Sanjay Singh, had violated its own regulations.

Earlier this month, the ad-hoc panel organised trials to select teams for the Asian Championships and the Asian Olympic Qualifiers in Kyrgyzstan, scheduled for next month.

During the trials, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia, both protesting, participated, with Phogat securing a spot in the Olympic qualifiers in the 50kg category.

Following the successful completion of the trials, administrative control of the sport has now been officially transferred to the WFI, despite the ongoing suspension imposed by the sports ministry.

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) directed the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) to establish a "Safeguarding Committee" to tackle issues of sexual harassment and ensure compliance with regulations.

"...as instructed by the UWW, it is imperative that the WFI appoint a Safeguarding Committee / Officer at the earliest to address the concerns of abuse and harassment and to ensure adherence to all rules, regulations, and guidelines set forth by the UWW and other relevant authorities," the IOA letter added.

"Furthermore, the WFI is also directed to conduct the elections of the Athletes Commission in a time-bound manner, in accordance with the established procedures and guidelines. This step is essential to promote athlete representation and participation in the decision-making processes of the WFI," it stated.

Furthermore, the directive mandated that the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) reimburse the loan extended by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to the ad-hoc panel. This loan was utilized for overseeing wrestling affairs during the suspension period of the national body.

"The day I won elections, you know that it was a crown of thorns for me. Despite limitations, we tried everything, whether it was organising the Nationals (in Pune), or providing officials and referees to the ad-hoc panel for the recent trials after (Delhi High Court) court stopped us from organising trials (in New Delhi). I am sure that it is the end of the struggle for us," added Sanjay Singh.

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