The Sports Ministry on Saturday directed the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) to droop all ongoing actions with speedy impact “till an oversight committee is formally appointed and oversees the day-to-day functioning of the WFI”. handles.”
The ministry additionally issued an order suspending WFI assistant secretary Vinod Tomar with speedy impact, a press launch stated.
“The Sports Ministry on Saturday informed the Wrestling Federation of India that in view of the government’s decision to appoint an inspection committee to investigate various allegations made by athletes against the federation, the WFI suspends all ongoing activities with immediate effect.” Until the Oversight Committee is formally appointed and takes over the day-to-day functioning of the WFI.
“In view of the directive to droop all actions with speedy impact, the Sports Ministry has requested the WFI to additionally cancel the continuing rating event in Gonda, UP. The ministry has directed WFI to refund the entry charge collected from the members for the continuing occasion.
Earlier within the day, the WFI rejected all allegations towards its president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, together with allegations of sexual harassment, and claimed that the wrestlers’ protest was motivated by a “hidden agenda to remove the current management”.
The WFI, in response to the federal government’s discover, denied all of the allegations and stated there was “no room for arbitrariness and mismanagement” within the federation.
The Sports Ministry had sought an evidence from the WFI after the nation’s prime wrestlers staged a sit-in alleging that the federation chief sexually harassed ladies wrestlers and acted like a “dictator”.
The WFI despatched its reply on Friday night and some hours later, the wrestlers referred to as off their protest after the federal government introduced that it will arrange an inspection committee to look into the allegations. It additionally stated that the WFI chief will step down until the probe is accomplished.
The WFI in its reply to the sports activities ministry stated, “WFI is managed by an elected body as per its constitution, and therefore, there is no scope for arbitrariness and mismanagement of the WFI by any one, including the president personally.”
It stated the allegations have been “motivated, biased, baseless, untrue and false” and the allegations have been made solely with the purpose of inflicting hurt to the president, the WFI and its coaches.
“Any aggrieved person/wrestler may approach the said committee for their grievances, and the committee is bound to conduct inquiry as per law. However, no such complaint has been received from the protestors/wrestlers.”
WFI listed 23 nationwide occasions to be organized in 2022 and claimed that it “speaks of fair, supportive, clean and strict management”.
The WFI questioned the timing of the protest and stated vested pursuits have been behind it.
“…who’ve clearly acted in private curiosity or underneath undue strain or merely for vested curiosity underneath any bigger conspiracy to defame and defame the current administration of WFI or the President.
“The protesting wrestlers are accountable to themselves, the public as well as to convince the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, especially when most of the protestors come together from a particular region/state of Haryana,” the federation wrote.
“It might also be famous that the subsequent election of WFI can also be due within the close to way forward for 2023… that the protest will not be in one of the best curiosity of the wrestlers, it has some private in addition to hidden agenda to take away the current administration. of WFI. The letter, signed by WFI common secretary VN Prasad, additionally acknowledged that the federation is able to cooperate with the federal government and can present all crucial data sought by the ministry.
(With PTI inputs)
With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
