Haryana amateur wrestling body chief, secretary face off over suspension of members

Deepender Deswal

Hisar, May 8

The suspension of three members and ban on two coaches of a Hisar-based akhara by the Haryana Amateur Wrestling Association (HAWA) president Rohtash Singh had triggered a storm in Haryana wrestling body. The general secretary described the action as arbitrary and dictatorial.

While the HAWA president stood firm on action taken against three members and two coaches, his general secretary Rakesh Singh said that suspension of members and ban on two coaches is arbitrary. The HAWA had suspended Virender Singh Dalal in Jhajjar, Sanjay Singh Malik in Hisar and Jai Bhagwan in Mewat who are secretaries of the district units in their respective districts and imposed ban on two coaches Ajay Singh Dhanda and Jai Bhagwan Lathar who are sanchalaks (managers) of the Saheed Bhagat Singh Wrestling Academy at Mirchpur village in Hisar.

“Rohtash has nothing to do with wrestling. He is sitting in Chennai and issued letters regarding suspension of three members and ban on two coaches arbitrarily. He cannot take action and should have called a general body meeting before taking any decision,” he said.

Rakesh Singh said Rohtash had not called any general body meeting before taking any decision on any kind of alleged indiscipline or violation of the guidelines of the HAWA and WFI. He had tortured several coaches and had harmed the wrestling in Haryana, he said. He said that the members who were suspended and coaches facing ban might have some pressure under which they had joined the dharna in Delhi.

“They should be given an opportunity before such an action,” he said.

Reacting on Rakesh Singh’s statement, the HAWA president told The Tribune over phone that he had taken action to suspend three members and ban two coaches after they failed to reply to the explanation served upon them about joining the dharna at jantar mantar in Delhi. “I have taken action after consultation with the WFI and also apprised the entire body including the General Secretary Rakesh Singh about the violations by these members”, he said adding the HAWA was not a pocket organisation of any individual.

He maintained that Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh had brought a transformation in Indian wrestling and had supported Haryana wrestlers, which had shown results as Haryana medals had brought medals at international level, including Olympics. Notably, both the HAWA president and secretary have all praise for the WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.