New WFI president ‘rejects’ IOA-appointed panel

Vinayak Padmadeo

New Delhi, December 27

Hours after the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) appointed an ad hoc panel to run the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), president Sanjay Singh said the new body has “rejected” the “illegal” decision.

“It is reiterated that the WFI is a society registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860… and has to be governed in terms of its own constitution and bye-laws,” Sanjay wrote in a letter to IOA president PT Usha.

Calling the decision “unilateral, illegal and unconstitutional”, Sanjay said the WFI’s new general council will not accept any ad hoc committee. “The WFI’s General Council on 21st December 2023 had also decided that no such committees would be accepted by the WFI in future as it interferes with the independence and autonomy of the WFI and further it is a direct violation of the UWW Charter Article 6.2 and 6.3,” he wrote.

“The previous EC (executive committee) may have accepted the decision to appoint an ad hoc committee. However, it is clarified that the previous office-bearers have no connection with the WFI which will be managed by the newly-elected EC only and of course the General Council being the supreme decision-making body in the WFI,” he added.

Sanjay also referred to the United World Wrestling constitution that governs the sport of wrestling worldwide and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) charter to make his case.

“Further reference is also made to the constitution of the UWW… ‘Article 6.3. Autonomy of National Federations: Affiliated and Associated Members shall govern and administer their activities independently. They shall preserve their autonomy without influence by any political, religious or economic pressures. Governments and other public authorities shall only be entitled to verify the use of their financial grants by the National Federations. Any infringement to this provision shall be reported to the Bureau of the Federation by the President of the relevant Affiliated or Associated Member’,” he wrote.

“…Once the free and fair elections were held, there is no business of the IOA to meddle with the internal functioning of the WFI,” he added.