Sports ministry grants two-week extension to Oversigh Committee on WFI investigation

The
committee
is
looking
into
allegations
made
by
star
wrestlers
during
a
protest,
which
includes
allegations
of
sexual
misconduct,
harassment/intimidation,
financial
irregularities,
and
administrative
lapses.

Ministry
approved
the
extension
after
a
request
letter
was
sent
by
members
of
the
Oversight
Committee
for
the
submission
of
the
report.
The
extension
also
applies
to
other
functioning
of
the
committee,
including
day-to-day
administration
of
WFI,
during
the
inquiry.

In
January,
the
Union
Ministry
of
Youth
Affairs
and
Sports
announced
the
formation
of
an
‘oversight
committee’ to
probe
into
the
allegations
levelled
against
the
Wrestling
Federation
of
India
(WFI)
and
its
chief
Brij
Bhushan
Sharan
Singh
and
other
coaches.

Olympic
medalist
Mary
Kom
is
heading
the
Oversight
Committee.
Top
Indian
wrestlers,
including
Bajrang
Punia,
Vinesh
Phogat,
Ravi
Dahiya,
and
Sakshi
Malik,
held
a
sit-in
protest
in
New
Delhi’s
Jantar
Mantar,
demanding
that
Brij
Bhushan
be
removed
from
the
head
office
and
WFI
be
disbanded.
This
forced
the
government
to
constitute
the
committee.

Former
wrestler
Yogeshwar
Dutt,
former
shuttler
Trupti
Murgunde,
SAI
member
Radhica
Sreeman,
ex-CEO
of
the
Target
Olympic
Podium
Plan
Rajesh
Rajagopalan,
and
CWG
gold
medalist
Babita
Phogat
are
the
other
members
of
the
Mary
Kom-led
committee.

After
lengthy
discussions
with
Union
Sports
Minister
Anurag
Thakur,
during
which
the
WFI
chief
was
requested
to
step
aside
for
four
weeks,
the
protesting
wrestlers
decided
to
end
their
three-day
protest
at
Jantar
Mantar
against
the
WFI
president.