An early decision by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports on the Oversight Committee’s report on the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) would have helped the key Olympic sport avoid some of the dirt that continues to sully its image, with leading wrestlers resuming their agitation against the WFI President and coaches.
For instance, it could have decided to issue an order rendering the Wrestling Federation of India’s election notice null and void, rather than wait for a week after the WFI emergent Executive Committee meeting in Gonda on April 16. Since the Oversight Committee recommended that the WFI elections be held under a neutral body, a delay in making the decision served no purpose.
On April 24, the Ministry shared three major findings by the Oversight Committee:
- Absence of an Internal Complaints Committee under the Prevention of Sexual Harassment Act 2013, and the lack of a mechanism to build awareness and grievance redressal;
- Need for more transparency and consultation between WFI and the athletes; and,
- Need for effective communication between WFI and the athletes.
It is never too late, and some of the heat may be doused if the Ministry shares the Oversight Committee’s findings and recommendations and reveals its own decisions on those suggestions. There is no guarantee that both parties – wrestlers on the one side, and the WFI administration on the other – would accept these without a murmur, but a way forward has to be found.
Interestingly, PT Usha, the Indian Olympic Association president, was quick to tweet her acceptance of the onerous responsibility of providing actionable solutions to the ‘impasse’, as requested by the Ministry in its order of April 24. The IOA Executive Committee, slated to meet on April 27, will have to find a way to ensure that the WFI elections are conducted inside 45 days.
It may help IOA to check if its Constitution allows the formation of such a transitory committee or ad-hoc committee as requested by the Ministry. In its order, the Ministry had requested the IOA to form a panel to hold WFI elections and to manage the affairs of WFI, including the selection of athletes and forwarding their entries in international events, till the new executive takes charge.
For, the Constitution repeatedly stresses that IOA respect the autonomy of a National Sports Federation as an independent legal entity, and seek advice from the International Federation concerned before taking any action.
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If anything, the IOA Constitution empowers the IOA to disaffiliate or derecognise or suspend a National Sports Federation after ensuring that a show-cause notice is issued and an explanation obtained before considering that action. And that action needs a two-thirds majority of votes of the members present and voting in an IOA General Assembly.
The reasons listed in the IOA Statutes to initiate such action include:
- Non-observance of directives issued by the IOA;
- Not holding elections after the completion of the normal tenure for which the office bearers are elected;
- Not submitting annual audited statement of accounts, annual report and list of current office-bearers within the stipulated time;
- Disaffiliation/Derecognition by the International Federation of the Sport; and,
- Loss of recognition due to non-adherence under the international or National Sports Code.
Of course, there are some precedents of IOA appointing ad-hoc committees to conduct elections or run the affairs of National Sports Federations. Some have come due to directions of a Court, as in the case of Karate India where the Kerala High Court ordered such a committee. Some have been dragged to Court, as in the ad-hoc committee that was set up to administer Taekwondo.
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Meanwhile, Tushar Mehta, the Solicitor General of India, has told the Supreme Court that a preliminary enquiry was needed before Delhi Police registered a First Information Report (FIR). Police may need to show greater urgency to arrive at a decision whether to file an FIR or not, unless the Supreme Court directs it to file an FIR without loss of time.
Perhaps after the Supreme Court issues a direction on Friday, the protesting wrestlers will go back to their training venues and resume in right earnest, letting the law of the land take its course. Everyone will agree that Indian sport – and, indeed, India – can do without the episodic and emotional drama playing out near Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.
There is no doubt that at least a couple of wrestlers have earned the displeasure of the Ministry. They had sending requests for clearance to train abroad the Target Olympic Podium Scheme, and those had been cleared by the Ministry’s Mission Olympic Cell. After all that effort, the athletes then chose not to go. Now that Bajrang Punia has spoken against the Government, they may have lost the sympathy of the Ministry.
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However, that should not deter them from preparing for the challenges on the mat. They cannot lose precious time in a year that will see the UWW World Championships in Belgrade, where 90 spots for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games will be up for grabs, as well as the Asian Games in Hangzhou and age-group World Championships.