IOA asks WFI to hand over reins to ad hoc panel

Vinayak Padmadeo

New Delhi, May 13

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has asked the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) to hand over all its operations to a two-member ad hoc panel headed by Bhupinder Singh Bajwa.

In a communication which was also marked to the Sports Ministry, IOA joint secretary Kalyan Chaubey said that all the financial and administrative roles will be performed by the panel, which also includes Suma Shirur.

“With the ad hoc committee being in existence, the outgoing office-bearers of the WFI shall have no role with respect to the exercise of any function of the NSF for discipline of wrestling and shall not perform any administrative, financial, and regulatory or any other role,” Chaubey wrote.

“The outgoing office-bearers of the WFI are directed to hand over all official documents, including website management, financial instruments, login details for making entries for the participation of the Indian sportspersons in international events etc, to the ad hoc committee forthwith,” he added.

Pay for trials

Meanwhile, the wrestlers were dismayed by the fact that the junior wrestlers appearing for the Under-17 and Under-20 trials for the freestyle and Greco-Roman categories will have to pay Rs 1,000 entry fee. The trials for Greco-Roman are scheduled to be held in Patiala, while the freestyle trials will be held in Sonipat on May 17.

As per the circular, the grapplers are asked to pre-register through a web link (https://sportsauthorityofindia.gov.in/wrestling_registration) Iand the last day to register is May 15. The circular adds that each wrestler has to pay a fee of Rs 1,000.

“This is a wrong step. How can you charge fee just to appear for trials,” Bajrang Punia’s coach Sujeet Mann said. “Imagine the young wrestler will be travelling with family or coach, where money will be spent on travelling, food and accommodation. Besides, there is no guarantee that the wrestler will win a place,” he added.