Authorities unhappy with wrestlers due to delay in submission of report by WFI Oversight Committee: Sources

The wrestling authorities in India are unhappy with ace wrestlers' behaviour and said that the report submission was delayed due to the grapplers' last-minute demand of adding a member of their choice to the 'Oversight Committee' formed to investigate allegations against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

The Ministery Of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) on Thursday extended the submission report deadline for the Wrestling Oversight Committee formed to investigate allegations of sexual misconduct, harassment/intimidation, financial irregularities and administrative lapses of the WFI by two weeks.

"The report submission was also delayed due to wrestlers' last-minute demand of asking for adding a member of their choice in the oversight committee," according to sources to ANI,

The committee will now have until March 9 to submit the report. The competent authorities 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.

Top Indian wrestlers including Olympic medallists Bajrang Punia, Ravi Kumar Dahiya, Sakshi Malik and others had opted out of the first two ranking series tournaments of the year in Zagreb and Cairo, respectively. The wrestlers had accused the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) of mismanagement earlier this year.

"Top wrestlers like Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat missing back-to-back ranking series tournaments hasn't gone down well with the competent authorities. The authorities raised questions on their dedication and commitment towards the sport in an Olympic qualifying year and they aren't setting a good example for young wrestlers," a source told ANI.

In January, the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports announced the formation of an 'oversight committee' to probe 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.

( With inputs from ANI )