New Delhi: The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) has given an extension of two weeks to the Oversight Committee for Wrestling to submit its report regarding the complaints of India’s top wrestlers like Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Bajrang Punia, world championships medalist Vinesh Phogat and Rio Olympics bronze medalist Sakshee Malikkh.
The wrestlers had gone on a dharna at Jantar Mantar in the national capital in January this year, protesting against a plethora of issues. The biggest allegation among them was that Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh had abused his position and sexually harassed women wrestlers. There were other claims as well, like financial misappropriation on the part of the WFI and its office bearers.
A release from the MYAS on Thursday stated that the Oversight Committee had requested for a two-week extension. The committee includes Olympic medal winners like Mary Kom and Yogeshwar Dutt besides former shuttler Trupti Murgunde and wrestler-turned-politician Babita Phogat. Radhica Sreeman, who is the former Executive Director of TEAMS at Sports Authority of India, and Crd (Retd) Rajesh Rajagopalan, who is the former CEO of Target Olympic Podium Scheme, are also members of the six-person committee.
The extension means that the Oversight Committee will also be in charge of day-to-day affairs of WFI for two more weeks at least.
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