Three days after Sports Minister Anurag Thakur announced the formation of a new 'Oversight Committee' to look into Indian wrestlers' complaints of sexual harassment, mental harassment and financial misappropriation by the Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, Thakur has announced that MC Mary Kom has been appointed to head the committee.
Apart from the legendary boxer, wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt, badminton player Tripti Murgunde and former CEO of TOPS (Target Olympics Podium Scheme) Captain Rajagopalan and former SAI Executive Director (Teams) Radhika Sreeman are also part of the committee.
The Committee has also been asked to monitor the day-to-day proceedings of the WFI with the federation's chief Brij Bhushan being made to step aside, pending the findings of the investigation
"Wrestling Federation of India's officials have all been told not to operate, to stay away from the workings of the body. All their work will be taken over by the Oversight Committee till the submission of their report,' said Sports Minister Anurag Thakur.
Noted wrestlers Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and a number of other grapplers started their protest against the WFI at Delhi's Jantar Mantar on 18 January, accused the WFI of arbitrariness, mismanagement, misgovernance and bias in selection, as well as harassment of wrestlers by its coaches and president.
The aggrieved grapplers called off their protest late on Friday night after a long meeting with Sports Minister Anurag Thakur who declared the new committee would investigate the matter, and asked Brij Bhushan to step aside till the findings are submitted.
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