New Delhi: The election of Wrestling Federation of India has been postponed. The election has been delayed by five days and will now be held on July 11. The ad-hoc committee nominated by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) took the decision on Wednesday amid several disputes within the state.
It is learned that some members also objected to the possibility of former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh’s family members being allowed to vote in the election, alleging that they were “illegally appointed” to the state association. The entire election process, from the formation of the Electoral College to the filing of nominations for all posts, has been postponed.
The three-member ad-hoc committee, comprising retired high court judge MM Kumar, was approached by unaffiliated state bodies in Maharashtra, Haryana, Telangana, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh. The state units claimed that they were unfairly disaffiliated by the WFI when it was headed by Brij Bhushan, who has been accused of sexual harassment by the Delhi Police.
The committee had called the disputed state units for a meeting on Wednesday, but during the hearing it came to light that half a dozen more states have made similar allegations against Brij Bhushan.
The WFI elections will now be held on June 7, 11 days after the initial June 30 deadline set by Sports Minister Anurag Thakur after a meeting with the protesting wrestlers. During the meeting, it was decided that no one from Brij Bhushan’s family would be there. Elections will be allowed for key posts, while Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat will have a bigger role to play in deciding who will hold the posts of president, general secretary and treasurer. Explain that WFI President Brij Bhushan Singh has been accused of sexual harassment by seven female wrestlers.
