Modi govt suspends newly elected body of Wrestling Federation of India

New Delhi: Union Sports Ministry Sunday suspended the newly elected body of Wrestling Federation of India till futher orders after the newly elected president Sanjay Singh announced U-15 and U-20 nationals to take place in Nandini Nagar, Gonda (UP) before the end of this year.

Newly-elected Wrestling Federation of India President Sanjay Singh had on Friday announced that the U15 and U20 Nationals will be held from December 28-30 in Gonda, Uttar Pradesh.

The ministry announced its decision on Sunday, 24 December citing that the WFI body had shown complete disregard for the existing rules and regulations.

In a statement, the Sports Ministry said that the announcement for national competitions was hasty and that due process was not followed.

A huge controversy erupted when WFI secretary general Prem Chand Lochab objected the decisions of president Sanjay Singh without taking him in confidence.

The ministry cited that the president of the newly elected body - Sanjay Kumar Singh - announced on 21 December that the junior national competitions will begin before the end of this year. The ministry detailed that this was against the rules and at least a 15-day notice was needed so that the wrestlers could prepare.

"Such decisions (holding nationals) are to be taken by Executive Committee, before which agendas are required to be placed for consideration. As per Article XI of the WFI constitution under the Heading 'Notices and Quorum for Meetings', minimum notice period for EC meeting is 15 clear days and quorum is of 1/3rd of representatives. Even for Emergency EC meeting, minimum notice period is 7 clear days with quorum requirement of 1/3rd of representatives," the ministry said in its press release.

The ministry also said that the new body appeared to be in complete control of the previous office bearers, against whom allegations of sexual harassment had been made.

"Newly elected body appears to be in complete control of former office bearers in complete disregard to the Sports Code," the ministry said.

"The business of the Federation is being run from the premises controlled by former office bearers. Which is also alleged premises wherein sexual harassment of the players have been alleged and present the court is hearing the matter," it further added.

Later, Darshan Lal, who had lost to Lochab in the recent polls, said that the latter's election to secretary general's post is in violation of WFI's constitution and he is now preventing the growth of wrestling in the country by demanding a postponement of the junior Nationals.

In the elections held on Thursday, former Railways Sports Promotion Board (RSPB) Secretary Lochab had won from the rival faction led by Commonwealth Games gold medallist wrestler Anita Sheoran and backed by the protesting wrestlers, including Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik.

Both Lal and Sanjay Singh, on the other hand, are part of former WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh's camp.

Earlier on Saturday, Sports Minister Anurag Thakur refused to involve himself in the boiling controversy over wrestler Bajrang Punia returning his Padma Shri in protest against the election of Sanjay Singh, a Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh loyalist, as the president of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).

Olympic medallist Punia had reached the Kartavya Path in New Delhi on Friday to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and hand over a protest letter but kept the Padma Shri medallion on a footpath there being blocked by the policemen.

"I have already spoken enough. No more comments,” said Thakur said in Bengaluru at the SAI centre on the sidelines of a function to honour eminent athletes and Asian Games medal winners.