Will the suspension of the wrestling federation last long? Formation of 3-member committee to oversee operations

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Wednesday, December 27, constituted a three-member committee for the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI). Bhupendra Singh Bajwa has been appointed as chairman, MM Somaya as member and Manjusha Kanwar as another member. After the suspension of the new body of WFI, an ad-hoc committee was formed by the Indian Olympic Association on the instructions of the Sports Ministry. This committee will oversee various functions and activities of WFI. These include selection of players, sending names of players to international tournaments, organizing sporting events, supervision and management of bank accounts.

The Sports Ministry suspended the WFI in a strongly worded statement on Sunday, December 24. The ministry argued that the newly elected board, headed by Sanjay Singh, was still under the influence of former office-bearers, who were suspended following sexual harassment allegations. The unrest regarding WFI has continued since the beginning of 2023. The situation came to light when several prominent wrestlers protested against the then president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

These athletes exposed several shocking incidents of persistent harassment and intimidation under Brij Bhushan’s administration. Following these revelations, the IOC and the Sports Ministry intervened and suspended the then existing WFI Board. WFI waited for several months to appoint a new leader, after which Sanjay Singh was elected as the new president. However, the change in leadership did not bring any relief to the beleaguered wrestlers. He alleged that Sanjay had close relations with former president Brij Bhushan. According to the athletes, Sanjay was not only Brij Bhushan’s business partner but also his close confidant.