Govt meddling in WFI affairs, prez writes to IOC

Vinayak Padmadeo

Tribune News Network

New Delhi, December 28

The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has upped the ante against both the Sports Ministry and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) after its suspension and the subsequent appointment of an ad hoc panel to run the sports in the country.

The newly-elected president, Sanjay Singh, has shot off a letter to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) chief, Thomas Bach, as well as the United World Wrestling president, Nenad Lalovic, complaining that the double act is a direct attack on the autonomy of the WFI. Sanjay said that the Ministry and the IOA have started to interfere after the candidates backed by them failed to win the election held on December 22.

In a stinging letter, assessed by The Tribune, Sanjay, who is a close aide of BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, wrote that an attempt was made by the IOA officials to change the electoral college to win the election.

The letter calls the Ministry’s suspension order as a clear violation of both the IOC charter that seeks political neutrality and autonomy for sports bodies as well as the UWW’s constitution that states that affiliated units have to work towards preserving the autonomy without any political, religious or economic pressures.

Further, Sanjay called the IOA, led by PT Usha, a proxy for the Ministry. Ever since the Ministry summarily suspended the WFI, only three days after the election, Sanjay has been on the offensive.

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