[Sanjay Singh and Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh after the WFI Election Results were announced Friday.]
New Delhi: The Narendra Modi government Sunday December 24, 2023 suspended the newly elected Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).
“The WFI has been instructed to suspend all its activities till further order”, the Sports Ministry said Sunday.
The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) announced a new body Friday December 21, 2023 with Sanjay Singh, close aide of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh who is accused of sexual harassment, as its President.
The new body was condemned by India’s ace wrestlers. In protest, Sakshi Malik, who won Olympic medal for the country, announced to quit from wrestling.
Ace wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Virender Singh returned their Padma Shri Awards. Unable to meet the Prime Minister, Bajrang Punia left his national award on the pavement near the official residence of the Prime Minister.
The Ministry of Sports however suspended the Wrestling Federation of India for taking a “hasty decision” of organising the U-15 and U-20 nationals "without following the due procedure and giving sufficient time to wrestlers" for preparations.
The Sports Ministry further said that the new body was operating under the "total control of former (WFI) office-bearers", which was not in conformity with the National Sports Code.
"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”, the ministry said.
“The decisions made by the newly elected executive body of the WFI demonstrates a blatant disregard for the established legal and procedural norms, violating both the WFI’s constitutional provisions and the National Sports Development Code”, the ministry said.
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