After suspending newly-formed WFI management, Centre asks Indian Olympic Association to set up panel to run the sports body

The newly elected management of WFI has been suspended due to a dispute with wrestlers.

The Sports Ministry, in a letter to the IOA chief, suggested that the temporary committee be entrusted with the management and control of WFI affairs, including the selection of athletes.

Sanjay Singh won 40 out of 47 votes in a sweeping victory over Anita Sheoran, a Commonwealth Games gold medallist who was backed by top wrestlers after she had taken to the streets earlier over sexual harassment allegations against Brij Bhushan.

Sanjay Singh has earlier served as vice-president of the Uttar Pradesh wrestling body. He was part of the WFI's last executive council and its joint secretary since 2019.

The decision was taken over 'hasty' announcements of national competitions and the sports ministry said that the move was made without 'following the provisions of the constitution of WFI'. 

"... 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," said the letter signed by Tarun Pareek, undersecretary to the Centre.

"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 the IOA 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 is the sports body do not get jeopardised," the Sports Ministry said in the letter.

The recent suspension of the newly elected Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) administration, led by Chief Sanjay Singh, a supporter of former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, raises the possibility of another round of elections.

The Centre's intervention has prompted the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to form a temporary panel to oversee WFI affairs.

This also means that it will also be responsible for organising international events and sporting competitions.

Concerns were raised by ace wrestler Sakshi Malik about the upcoming junior national competitions as the event would be organised on Brijbhushan Sharan Singh’s home turf.

Subsequently, the Centre ordered the halt of all activities by the newly-elected WFI panel until further notice, citing the "hasty" announcement of the junior national contests.