The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Monday announced the dissolution of the ad hoc committee for the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), stating that there was no longer a necessity for its existence following the reinstatement of the national federation, which now has full administrative control over the sport.
The decision to dissolve the ad-hoc committee was taken after the successful conduct of the selection trials for the upcoming Olympic qualifying tournament next month, for which the panel collaborated closely with the WFI. This IOA decision also comes following the lifting of the ban imposed on WFI by the United World Wrestling (UWW).
“Refer to this office Order No. IOA WFI/I-28/2023/1560 dated 27 December 2023, wherein an Ad Hoc Committee for wrestling was appointed, it is hereby ordered that the said Ad Hoc committee is dissolved with immediate effect,” the IOA said in a statement.
“The decision to dissolve the Ad Hoc committee comes in light of the lifting of the ban of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) by the United World Wrestling (UWW) and the successful completion of Selection Trials by the Ad Hoc Committee appointed by the IOA as per the directives of the Hon’ble High Court of Delhi. Consequent upon the aforementioned developments, there is no further need for running the activities of the WFI through an Ad Hoc Committee,” the IOA said in a statement.
The IOA formed the ad-hoc committee in December last year after the sports ministry suspended the WFI. The ad-hoc committee under the chairmanship of Bhupender Singh Bajwa was constituted on December 23, after the newly-elected WFI, led by Sanjay Singh, had allegedly flouted its own rules by announcing the conduct of nationals without giving 15 days of time for the wrestlers to prepare.
In February, the WFI received a massive shot in the arm when the UWW lifted its ban, clearing the way for it to run smoothly. And with the trials conducted smoothly and successfully, the administrative control of the sport has now been transferred back to the WFI.
Appoint Safeguarding Committee Officer to address sexual harassment concerns
The IOA instructed the WFI to appoint a “Safeguarding Committee Officer” to address concerns of sexual harassment and other issues such as adherence to rules.
“As instructed by the UWW, it is imperative that the WFI appoint a Safeguarding Committee/Officer at the earliest to address the concerns of abuse and harassment and to ensure adherence to all rules, regulations and guidelines set forth by the UWW and other relevant authorities. Furthermore, the WFI is also directed to conduct the elections of the Athletes Commission in a time-bound manner, in accordance with the established procedures and guidelines. This step is essential to promote athlete representation and participation in the decision-making process of the WFI,” the IOA statement said.