HC asks IOA panel to run wrestling body

NEW DELHI: The Delhi high court on Friday restored the mandate of an ad hoc panel of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to run the affairs of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI). It was hearing a plea by celebrated wrestlers Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, and her husband Satyawart Kadian on the issue.
In an interim order, HC said IOA's decision to dissolve the ad hoc panel wasn't in sync with sports ministry's order suspending the WFI shortly after the Dec elections.It pointed out that until the suspension order is recalled, it is incumbent upon the ad hoc committee to manage the federation's affairs.
Reacting to the development, WFI said it will challenge the order, adding that the "interference" could jeopardise participation of Indian wrestlers at the upcoming World Championships.
"We are going to take it to a double bench. IOA had dissolved the ad hoc panel. We will also approach world governing body (UWW) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC). They had warned that outside interference may impact our athletes," WFI president Sanjay Singh told PTI.
'IOA should allay world wrestling body's fears'
Justice Sachin Datta turned down the petitioners' prayer to appoint a retired high court or Supreme Court judge as the administrator of WFI and said it shall be open to the IOA to reconstitute the ad hoc committee.
"Since this court has concluded that dissolution of the ad hoc committee was unwarranted, it restores the mandate of the ad hoc committee appointed by the IOA vide order dated 27.12.2023… However, it shall be open to IOA to reconstitute the ad hoc committee so as to ensure that the same is a multi-member body comprising of eminent sportspersons and/or experts who are well-versed in dealing with the International Federations, so as to allay any concerns that the UWW (United World Wrestling- the world body for the sport) might have as regards the steps taken qua the WFI," the court observed.
The wrestlers, who were at the forefront of last year's protest at Jantar Mantar demanding the arrest of outgoing WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh for alleged sexual harassment of seven women grapplers, had moved the high court earlier this year challenging the elections held to elect the office bearers of the federation in December.
Sanjay Singh, a Brij Bhushan loyalist, was elected as the WFI chief in the polls held on December 21, 2023. Soon, the Centre stepped in and suspended the WFI on December 24, 2023, three days after it elected the new office bearers, for allegedly not following the provisions of its own constitution while taking decisions and requested the IOA to constitute an ad hoc committee to manage and control its affairs.
In February, once the UWW lifted its suspension, the IOA also dissolved its ad hoc committee. But the wrestlers sought a stay on the functioning of the WFI in its present form and to prevent it from undertaking any activity as a national federation for the sport of wrestling.
In its 31-page order, HC said UWW's lifting of the ban was "unconnected" with the Centre's separate suspension order and the ad hoc committee by the IOA, and "disapproval" by the UWW was also not a valid justification to dissolve the committee. Noting that the Paris Olympic Games are over, the court observed that there is no reason why the sports ministry should feel constrained in taking a decision on whether the suspension order should continue.