WFI body suspended by government without 'proper procedure': Sanjay Singh
Suspended Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) President Sanjay Singh claimed on Thursday the Union Sports and Youth Affairs Ministry didn't follow "proper procedure" while suspending the wrestling national body. Furthermore, he stated that the federation would challenge the government's decision in court, if the suspension is not revoked. Singh further argued the WFI is an autonomous and democratically elected body and should have been allowed to present its perspective before facing suspension.
Why does this story matter?
The Centre suspended the WFI governing body on Sunday after it announced the under-20 (U-20) and under-15 (U-15) national wrestling competitions would happen in Uttar Pradesh's Gonda before the end of 2023. However, the Sports Ministry termed the decision "hasty" as it was taken without notifying the Executive Committee and violated the WFI constitution. Moreover, the election of Singh—a close ally of ex-WFI supremo Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, accused of sexually harassing female wrestlers—to the WFI also faced criticism.
Democratically-elected body denied chance to explain position: Singh
While asserting that the now-suspended WFI governing body won the elections democratically, Singh said, "After all these, if you say we are suspended, we are not going to accept it." Speaking to PTI, the suspended WFI president added, "A democratically-elected body was not given a chance to explain its position which is against the principle of natural justice which everybody is entitled to under the Constitution of India."
We're taking legal opinion, going to court: Singh
On what might be the way forward for the suspended body, Singh said, "We are going to talk to the government, and if it (government) does not take back the suspension, we are taking legal opinion and going to court." Since the WFI is contesting the suspension, Singh revealed he won't accept the three-member ad-hoc committee formed on Wednesday by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). It was constituted to run the daily affairs of the national wrestling body.
Protesting wrestlers past their prime: Singh's earlier comments on grapplers
Singh earlier claimed Bajrang Punia and other wrestlers, who were part of the protest against Brij Bhushan and the newly-elected WFI body, were past their prime as athletes. Highlighting that Punia lost his last match by 10-0 at the Hangzhou Asian Games, Singh said, "They (the wrestlers) have left wrestling for politics." "Rahul Gandhi (Congress leader) went to meet them and wrestled with them on the mat. This is not something players do," the suspended wrestling body chief told ANI.
How top Indian wrestlers protested after WFI election results
In protest against the WFI's election results last week, top wrestler Sakshee Malikkh announced she was quitting the sport. During a press conference, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games gold medalist Vinesh Phogat also asserted that women wrestlers would continue to face harassment under the newly elected WFI regime under Singh, a Brij Bhushan aide. Later, grappler Punia revealed on Friday that he wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to return his Padma Shri award as a sign of protest.
