Lifeline for WFI

THE Sports Ministry’s decision to revoke the suspension of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has ended a prolonged spell of uncertainty for wrestlers as well as administrators. The move comes amid the hearing of a plea filed by top wrestlers in the Delhi High Court, demanding that the federation’s 2023 elections be declared illegal. The WFI has been in the news in recent years mostly for the wrong reasons. The charges of sexual harassment against then federation chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh not only hit its credibility but also demoralised young entrants to the sport. Though Brij Bhushan is no longer at the helm of affairs, he is presumed to be still calling the shots through his aide and successor Sanjay Singh.

The ministry, which had suspended the WFI in December 2023 over “lapses in governance and procedural integrity”, has said that it is satisfied with the corrective measures that have been taken. However, the government cannot afford to assume that everything will be hunky-dory from now on. Constant monitoring is a must to ensure that the federation’s top brass prioritises players’ interests over political one-upmanship.

The inescapable truth is that politicians have controlled sports federations in the country for decades. The cash-rich cricket board has been headed by the likes of Nationalist Congress Party stalwart Sharad Pawar and BJP MP Anurag Thakur. It is a good sign that the Indian Olympic Association is currently helmed by a distinguished Olympian, PT Usha, but deep-rooted politicisation continues to impede India’s ambition of becoming a sporting powerhouse. Administrators ought to serve as facilitators for the players, not as power-drunk predators. The WFI has been given an opportunity to redeem itself. But that alone is not enough to stem the rot. The Brij Bhushan case should be fast-tracked, while the possibility of holding fresh elections needs to be explored.