Unhappy over the Wrestling Federation of India’s decision to go ahead with a national tournament in Uttar Pradesh’s Gonda which was presided over by WFI President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on Saturday, the Centre has directed the WFI to cancel the tournament as well as suspend all other ongoing activities.
All activities of the WFI will remain suspended until the Oversight Committee is formally appointed and takes over the day-to-day activities of WFI. This includes the suspension of ongoing ranking competition and return of entry fees taken from participants for any ongoing activities.
The proposed Annual General Meeting of the Wrestling Federation of India in Ayodhya today has also been cancelled on the sports ministry’s order on Saturday evening.
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News18 had earlier on Saturday reported that the Centre was not pleased with Singh presiding over the tournament as the chief guest, just hours after the Centre had said Singh would “step aside from day-to-day activity” as the WFI President till an inquiry was over in four weeks.
“He should have avoided chairing the tournament in Gonda,” a central functionary had told News18.
Many wrestlers had also refused to participate in the event and the protesting wrestlers in Delhi were unhappy over the turn of events in Gonda on Saturday.
Assistant Secretary of WFI, Vinod Tomar, has been suspended by the Centre as well on Saturday evening. Speaking to News18 earlier, Tomar had said Singh was neither a suspended president nor a terminated one.
“The Ministry of Sports has communicated to the Wrestling Federation of India on Saturday that in view of the Government’s decision to appoint an Oversight Committee to investigate the various allegations raised by athletes against the Federation, WFI will suspend all ongoing activities with immediate effect, unless the Oversight Committee is formally appointed and takes over the day to day functioning of WFI,” a Sports Ministry statement on Saturday evening said.
“In view of the direction to suspend all activities immediately, the Sports Ministry has asked WFI to also cancel the ongoing Ranking Tournament in Gonda, UP. The Ministry has directed WFI to return the entry fees charged to participants for the ongoing event. In yet another decision, the Sports Ministry has issued an order to suspend the Assistant Secretary of WFI, Shri. Vinod Tomar, with immediate effect, to ensure proper functioning of WFI,” the ministry statement added.
Singh had occupied pride of place at the national-level wrestling event in Gonda on Saturday and made a grand entry at the venue, with posters at the venue prominently carrying his picture.
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