All outgoing Wrest ling Federation of India officials have been debarred by the Indian Olympic Association amidst the wrestlers’ protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. The IOA sent out a letter stating that all the involved officials will be banned from any administrative WFI function with immediate effect.
An order was issued by the IOA Joint Secretary and Acting CEO Kalyan Chaubey on Monday, stating, “The Ad Hoc Committee appointed by IOA for the discipline of wrestling shall carry out all the duties and responsibilities of the National Sports Federation (NSF) as enunciated in the Sports Code.”
As per the official letter, the IOA took into consideration the ministry's letter on April 24, which informed about the administrative problems in the WFI and requested the IOA to form a transitory committee or to conduct elections of the WFI executive council to manage the official affairs.
The IOA Executive Council held an emergency meeting on April 27 and took a call to form an ad-hoc committee to address the allegations against the present administration and chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. Then on May 3, the IOA created a two-member committee with IOA Executive Council Member Bhupender Singh Bajwa and Suma Shirur, Sportsperson of Outstanding Merit of IOA.
Further, a retired judge of the Supreme Court or any High Court is also set to be part of the ad-hoc committee soon. These steps will ensure smooth and transparent conduction of the elections of WFI. The committee will take control for an interim period till a new executive committee takes charge.
The IOA has also asked the secretary general of WFI to hand over the official documents including financial instruments to the ad-hoc panel. This order further solidifies the fact that outgoing office bearers shall have no role in the running of the federation.
The letter by the IOA said, "Taking note of the Ministry's letter dated 24.04.2023 informing Indian Olympic Association (IOA) of the administrative void in Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and requesting the IOA to form a transitory committee or Ad hoc Committee to conduct elections of Executive Council of WFI and manage affairs of WFI, IOA Executive Council at its Emergency meeting held on 27th April 2023 has unanimously resolved that an Ad Hoc Committee should be constituted to take charge of the affairs of the WFI."
"IOA has appointed Ad hoc Committee vide Order 03.05.2023 consisting of Bhupender Singh Bajwa, IOA Executive Council Member and Suma Shirur, Sportsperson of Outstanding Merit of IOA. A retired Judge of the Hon'ble Supreme Court or any High Court in India will also be involved with the Ad Hoc Committee to ensure fresh elections of WFI are conducted in a smooth, transparent and legally sound manner. Ad hoc Committee has already started functioning."
"In pursuance of the above, it is hereby clarified that the Ad Hoc Committee appointed by the IOA for the discipline of Wrestling shall carry out all the duties and responsibilities of the National Sports Federation as enunciated in the Sports Code."
"With the Ad hoc Committee being in existence, the outgoing office bearers of the WFI shall have no role with respect to the exercise of any function of the NSF for the discipline of Wrestling and shall not perform any administrative, financial, regulatory or any other role. Therefore, the outgoing office bearers of the WFI are directed to hand over all official documents, including website management, financial instruments, log in details for making entries for the participation of Indian sportspersons in international events, etc., to the Ad hoc Committee, forthwith," concluded the letter.
