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

The Union sports ministry gave a two-week extension to Mary Kom-led Oversight Committee to submit its report on serious charges made against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and its president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. The new date of report submission is now March 9.

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.