The Sports activities Ministry on Sunday suspended the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) until additional orders after the newly-elected physique made a “hasty announcement” of organising the U-15 and U-20 nationals “with out following due process and never giving enough discover to wrestlers” for preparations. The ministry additionally mentioned the brand new physique was working underneath the “full management of former (WFI) office-bearers”, which was not in conformity with the Nationwide Sports activities Code. The WFI elections had been held on December 21 with former president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh’s loyalist, Sanjay Singh, and his panel successful the polls by large margins. “The brand new physique has not adopted the WFI structure. The Federation stands suspended until additional orders. WFI won’t be caring for everyday actions of wrestling. They should comply with the due course of and the foundations,” a sports activities ministry official informed PTI.
Prime wrestler Bajrang Punia, who together with Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik, had led the agitation in opposition to Brij Bhushan had returned his Padma Shri award to the federal government on Friday in protest over Sanjay Singh, who’s a Brij Bhushan lo12/24/2023 1:02:44 PMyalist, changing into WFI President.
This was a day after Sakshi Malik stop wrestling for a similar cause.
The supply additional defined the explanations for WFI suspension.
“Sanjay Kumar Singh, newly-elected president of WFI introduced on December 21, the day he was elected as president, that U-15 and U-20 nationals for Wrestling will happen in Nandini Nagar, Gonda (UP) earlier than the tip of this yr.
“This announcement is hasty, with out giving enough discover to wrestlers who’re to participate within the mentioned nationals and with out following the provisions of the structure of WFI,” mentioned the supply.
“As per clause 3 (e) of preamble of structure of WFI, object of the WFI, amongst others, is to rearrange holding of Senior, Junior and Sub Junior Nationwide Championships as per UWW Guidelines at locations chosen by the Govt Committee,” mentioned the supply.
The supply added that the brand new physique had began functioning in the identical premises (Brij Bhushan’s official bunglow) from the place the earlier office-bearers operated whereby allegedly sexual harassment of the gamers have been alleged.
“Newly-elected physique seems to be in full management of former office-bearers in full disregard to the Sports activities Code.
“The enterprise of the Federation is being run from the premises managed by former office-bearers. Which can also be alleged premises whereby sexual harassment of the gamers have been alleged and current (ly) the courtroom is listening to the matter.
“The selections made by the newly-elected govt physique of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) display a blatant disregard for the established authorized and procedural norms, violating each the WFI’s constitutional provisions and the Nationwide Sports activities Growth Code,” the supply mentioned.
A number of prime wrestlers, together with Olympic medallists Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik and World Championship medallist Vinesh Phogat have levelled allegations of sexual harassment in opposition to Brij Bhushan and the case is being heard within the Delhi Excessive Court docket.
The supply added that every one these actions by the brand new physique are opposite to the established norms of truthful and clear governance.
“The actions smack of full arbitrariness on a part of the President, which is in opposition to the settled rules of fine governance and devoid of transparency and due course of. Adherence to governance norms is significant for guaranteeing truthful play, transparency and accountability. There are essential to constructed belief amongst athletes, stakeholders, and the general public,” mentioned the supply.
The supply added that the choice to carry the nationwide championships ought to have been completed in a procedural method by informing the chief committee, which was not completed.
“Such choices (holding of the nationals) are to be taken by Govt Committee, earlier than which agendas are required to be positioned for consideration. As per Article XI of the WFI structure underneath the Heading ‘Notices and Quorum for Conferences’, minimal discover interval for EC assembly is 15 clear days and quorum is of 1/third of representatives.
“Even for Emergency EC assembly, minimal discover interval is 7 clear days with quorum requirement of 1/third of representatives.
“Additional, when it comes to the Article X (d) of Structure of WFI, it’s Secretary Common of WFI, who has been made chargeable for finishing up the overall enterprise of the Federation, protecting the minutes of the conferences, sustaining all of the information of the Federation, calling the conferences of the Common Council and the Govt Committee.
“It appears Secretary Common has not been concerned within the mentioned assembly of EC, which was held with none discover or quorum,” the supply added.
Newly-elected WFI secretary-general, Prem Chand Lochab, had written to Sanjay Singh a day after the elections {that a} “few states have objected to rescheduling and relocating of age group and junior Nationals”.
“On this regard, no common assembly of the Govt Committee of WFI as per its Structure has been performed after the elections for newly elected Govt Council held on 21-12-2023.” “In view of the above, it’s felt that the grievances of state federations are real and could also be thought of and the U20 and U15 Nationwide Wrestling Championships 2023 scheduled at Nandini Nagar, Gonda from December 28-30 could also be postponed,” Lochab, the previous Railway Sports activities Management Board secretary had written in his letter.
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