Sports Ministry Directs IOA To Conduct WFI Executive Committee Elections Within 45 Days

The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports has directed the Indian Olympic Association to form an ad-hoc committee that will be responsible to conduct fresh elections for the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) within 45 days of its formation. The Sports Ministry took this step after Indian wrestlers Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, and Sakshi Malikkh began to protest against the Wrestling Federation of India. President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh at the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.

IOA to organise and manage fresh elections of the Wrestling Federation of India

Wrestlers Continue Protest Against WFI Chief
Earlier Bajrang Punia came out and stated that all party establishments and persons are welcome to join the protest. “We play and win for the country, not for any party. Not only one party but everyone congratulates us on our win. So, this time, we welcome all parties and countrymen to join our protest,” Punia added. Punia also stated that, “We have been going through mental torture, it’s about the respect of women athletes…We aren’t receiving any response from Sports Ministry, it’s been 3 months.”

Coming back to the wrestlers protest, Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, and Sakshi Malikkh are demanding the resignation of Brij
Bhushan Singh and an investigation against him. The wrestlers had also protested regarding the same matter against the WFI chief in the month of January this year after which Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur invited them for talks after which they ended their protest. The Sports Ministry made a five-member committee to investigate the matter. The committee was headed by legendary boxer MC Mary Kom and they had to submit their report within a month which was later extended by two weeks as Babita Phogat was also added as the sixth member of the committee.