Amidst protest by the country’s top wrestlers against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, India is staring at international suspension. And the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) is in a race against time to stop that from happening – it has just one week to carry out a process that, as per the Sports Code, could take 11 to 16 days.
The 45-day deadline set by the government for the IOA to complete the Wrestling Federation of India’s (WFI’s) election process ends on June 10 – counting from April 27, the day the ad-hoc committee was formed.
However, The Indian Express has learnt that the IOA is yet to formally kick-start the process and hasn’t even appointed a returning officer to monitor it. “Until the current crisis ends, it will be tough to conduct elections in a free and fair manner. Hence, the IOA hasn’t yet appointed a retired judge or issued a formal notification for the elections,” a source said.
Last Tuesday, while condemning the treatment and detention of the protesting wrestlers earlier this week, the United World Wrestling (UWW) urged the IOA to ‘respect’ the 45-day deadline to conduct the WFI elections.
“Failing to do so may lead UWW to suspend the federation, thereby forcing the athletes to compete under a neutral flag. It is reminded that UWW already took a measure in this situation by reallocating the Asian Championship planned in New Delhi earlier this year,” the world body said in a statement.
As per the Sports Code’s ‘model election guidelines to be followed by all national sports federations’, the election process is a long and tedious affair involving multiple stages – starting with the formation of the electoral college, the appointment of a returning officer, the nomination of candidates, scrutiny of nominations, withdrawal of candidatures and at last contesting elections, if needed.
The entire procedure can take at least 11 days, if all members are elected unopposed, or 16 days if there is more than one person contesting for the same post.
An official said the IOA or the ad-hoc body hasn’t received any official communication regarding a suspension. However, they are likely to ask the UWW for more time to conduct the elections. “It is hoped that a returning officer will be appointed soon. Once that happens, the process won’t take a lot of time. But it is very tough to meet the (45-day) deadline and if needed, we will request the international federation to grant an extension given the unusual circumstances,” the official said.
Brij Bhushan, who has been accused of sexual harassment by seven women wrestlers including a minor, has been the president of the WFI since 2011. As per the age and tenure clause of the sports code, which prevents officials from holding on to a post after three consecutive terms, Brij Bhushan is not eligible for re-election as president. The WFI was set to hold its elections on May 7 but after the wrestlers restarted their protests on April 23, the sports ministry nullified their process.
Null and void
In its letter to the IOA on April 24, the government declared the WFI’s election process null and void and further wrote: “…a transitory or Ad-Hoc Committee may be constituted by the IOA to conduct the election of the Executive Committee of the WFI within 45 days of its formation.”
Subsequently, the IOA announced its executive council member Bhupender Singh Bajwa – also the president of the Wushu Federation of India and the chef de mission for the Asian Games – and former shooter Suma Shirur as the members of the ad-hoc committee. “In the days leading up to WFI’s election, IOA will also appoint a retired High Court Judge to the Ad Hoc Committee for a fair and transparent election,” the IOA said in a statement on April 27.