The suspension comes days after a brand new president changed the outdated head who was charged with sexually harassing wrestlers.

India’s Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has suspended the newly-elected governing physique of the scandal-hit wrestling federation, accusing it of ignoring guidelines by unexpectedly asserting championships.

The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has “been instructed to suspend all its activities until further orders”, the ministry mentioned in a press release on Sunday.

Following the suspension, the ministry requested the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to create a short lived panel to control the WFI, Indian media studies mentioned.

“Taking note of the compelling current situation arising out of the influence and control of the WFI’s former office bearers, serious concerns have arisen about the governance and integrity of the WFI,” mentioned the letter, in accordance with the studies.

The suspension of WFI’s governing physique comes days after Sanjay Singh was elected to exchange his shut ally Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, a parliamentarian charged with sexually harassing ladies wrestlers.

Many of India’s prime wrestlers had led a noisy sit-in protest in New Delhi earlier this yr, demanding Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh’s elimination after the allegations got here to mild in January.

The accused 66-year-old member of parliament from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) denied all prices and claimed he was the sufferer of a conspiracy to pressure him out of parliament.

A felony case towards him is ongoing and will see him sentenced to 5 years in jail if discovered responsible.

Wrestling is massively common in rural northern India, and star athletes noticed a wellspring of public help.

Earlier this week, prime feminine wrestler Sakshi Malik, additionally one of many accusers within the case towards Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, addressed an emotional information convention, asserting her decision to quit the game over Sanjay Singh’s election.

On Friday, Bajrang Punia, the primary Indian wrestler to win 4 world championship medals, introduced he’ll return his Padma Shri – India’s fourth highest civilian award – in protest over the election.

The new president defeated Anita Sheoran, who received a gold medal on the 2010 Commonwealth Games and supported the marketing campaign by athletes towards his predecessor. She can be a witness within the case.

The WFI election was speculated to have ended the federation’s suspension by United World Wrestling, the worldwide governing physique, however that’s now unlikely with the federal government’s order.

Sanjay Singh received the poll on Thursday, and shortly after, he met with the previous head earlier than asserting that the nationwide junior wrestling championships can be held earlier than the tip of the yr.

“The actions smack of complete arbitrariness on the part of the new president,” the assertion by the Sports Ministry mentioned, including that the brand new board “appears to be in complete control of former office bearers”.