IOA’s decision to take charge of WFI is first step in our fight for justice: wrestlers

The protesting wrestlers on Sunday termed the Indian Olympic Association’s (IOA) decision to take charge of all the activities of the Wrestling Federation of India as the “first step” in their fight against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the former WFI chief.
The country’s top wrestlers, including Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat, have been protesting at the Jantar Mantar for the last 22 days demanding the arrest of Brij Bhushan for alleged sexual harassment of women wrestlers.
The IOA, through its letter on May 12, asked the secretary general of WFI to hand over the official documents including financial instruments to its ad-hoc panel, making it clear the outgoing office bearers shall have no role in the running of the federation.
The WFI said it has no issues in obeying the IOA order since they were already co-operating with the authorities.
“This (the dissolution of the current WFI) is the first step in our fight for justice. Our fight has begun in right earnest, it’s a victory for us… and we will continue or fight until we get justice,” said Bajrang, the Tokyo Olympics bronze medall.
Asian Games gold medall Vinesh Phogat rued that not a single ruling party’s woman parliamentarian had met the wrestlers “to extend support in our fight for the dignity of women”.
She said that from Monday onwards the wrestlers will give letters hand or via e-mail to all women parliamentarians of the ruling party to come and support them.
“When they talk about the safety of women in the country, then we too are their daughters and they should come out and support us,” she said.
“We are writing an open letter to them (ruling party’s women parliamentarians) and our fellow wrestlers will deliver those letters hand. We will also send letters via e-mail. We feel that our voice, our grievances, have not yet reached them… we feel that after they receive the letters they will come and support us,” added Vinesh.
Vinesh also requested the people gathered at Jantar Mantar to visit their respective drict headquarters on May 16 and give a memorandum in support of the wrestlers.
“We request the people supporting us to also launch a satyagraha andolan (nonviolent resance) for just one day for the dignity of women,” added Vinesh.
Meanwhile, the IOA’s three-member ad-hoc committee has made it clear that the process to elect new WFI office bearers will be completed within the 45-day time frame and that the charge will be handed back to the elected body.
“Once the elections will be held, the adminrative powers will go back to the WFI. The newly elected officials will run the show. It’s just a temporary move that ad-hoc is managing the affairs of the federation,” an official told PTI.
Pakan to participate in SAFF football tournament in Bengaluru Philem Dipak Singh
New Delhi, May 14 (PTI) Pakan has confirmed its participation in the South Asian Football Federation Championships in Bengaluru in June-July and the AIFF does not see any problem with the players of the neighbouring country travelling to India.
The international tournament will also see participation of Lebanon and Kuwait as the SAFF executive committee in March decided to feature teams from outside the south Asian region with a view to make the championship more competitive.
“We don’t see any problem in the coming of players from Pakan to India to participate in the SAFF Championships,” All Indian Football Federation secretary general Shaji Prabhakaran told PTI.
He was asked if there could be any problem on the issue of granting visas to the Pakani players in view of the political tension between the two countries.
“I think the Indian bridge team recently took part in a regional tournament in Pakan and so we don’t expect any issue on their (Pakan’s) participation,” he added.
The eight-team tournament will be held in Bengaluru from June 21 to July 4.
Besides hosts India, Lebanon, Kuwait and Pakan, the other four participating countries are Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Maldives. Sri Lanka is not taking part as it is serving suspension from world governing body FIFA, while Afghanan has left SAFF to join Central Asian Football Federation a few years back.
Pakan failed to feature in two tournaments out of the 13 editions held so far since 1993.
The Pakan Football Federation could not send its team in the 2015 edition held in India due to internal issues. The country missed the 2021 edition as it was serving suspension from FIFA. The suspension was lifted last year.
Prabhakaran also said that all the participating countries, including Kuwait and Lebanon, will send their best national teams.
“Yes, Lebanon and Kuwait, as well as all other participating countries, will send their first national teams,” said Prabhakaran who recently became a member of Asian Football Confederation executive committee as a representative of the SAFF.
India has won the regional tournament a record eight times. Defending champions Maldives have won the title twice while Afghanan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka lifted the trophy once each.
India will be hosting the tournament for the fourth time.

The draw of the tournament will be held here on Wednesday.