Indian Olympic Association (IOA) Archives - Lokmarg

Bajrang and Vinesh from Hangzhou Asian Games

Bajrang, Vinesh Exempted From Hangzhou Asian Games Trials

By LokMarg 18th July 2023

India’s ace wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat will go directly to participate in the upcoming Asian games, Hangzhou, without appearing in the national trials, according to sources.

The ad hoc committee which was established by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has decided to give them an exemption from the trials.
According to Sources, there is a rule in the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) that if there is any situation where Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) athletes need exemption (world champions and Olympic medalists) they can receive it.

As per the guidelines ad hoc committee can give exemptions to those athletes as the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) didn’t give an exemption to IOA.

Rio Olympics bronze medalist Sakshi Malik didn’t receive an exemption because she is not a TOPS athlete and thus she has to appear for trials.

Punia and Vinesh were among the wrestlers who protested against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Singh, against whom allegations of sexual harassment were made.

The two-time world championships medallist and the reigning Asian Games champion, Vinesh, was set to make her return to the mat at the Budapest Ranking Series 2023.

However, she opted to withdraw from the 55kg weight class after informing the organisers as well as the Sports Authority of India (SAI) about her inability to participate in the competition due to “fever and food poisoning” according to Olympics.com.

Last week, the National Anti-Doping Agency issued a notice to Vinesh Phogat for “apparent failure” to comply with the whereabouts requirements of the Anti-Doping Rules, and give her two weeks to respond.

“I am writing to give you formal notice to notify you of your apparent failure to comply with the whereabouts requirements of the ADR, and to invite you to make any comments before we come to a final decision on the matter. Please read this letter carefully, as it may have serious consequences for you,’ read the notice from NADA.

The notice also revealed that Vinesh had declared to be available for testing at Sonipat, Haryana in her recent Whereabouts Filing on June 27 at 10:00 PM.

Ahead of the upcoming games, both players have also headed to Kyrgystan and Hungary for international training camps. The duo sent in their proposals on June 29, to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) TOPS team and the same was cleared within 24 hours of their request, an official release said.

While Olympic medalist Bajrang Punia has headed out to Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan for 36 days of training camp, World Championships medalist Vinesh headed out to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan for first a week of training and then to Tata, Hungary for 18 days of training camp.

Vinesh has been accompanied by physiotherapist Ashwini Jeevan Patil, sparring partner Sangeeta Phogat and Coach Sudesh. Bajrang will be accompanied by Coach Sujeet Maan, Physiotherapist Anuj Gupta, sparring partner Jitender and Strength and Conditioning expert Kaazi Hasan.

The release said the government will fund Vinesh, Bajrang, their sparring partners Sangeeta Phogat and Jitender and coaches Sudesh and Sujeet Maan’s air tickets, board and lodging costs, camp expenses, airport transfer costs, OPA and other miscellaneous costs.

Additionally, the cost for the other support staff accompanying the wrestlers will be borne by Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ). (ANI)

WFI Elections Postponed, To Be Held On July 11: IOA

By LokMarg 21st June 2023

The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) elections have been postponed from July 6 to July 11, as per the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).

In the election, the members of the executive committee of WFI will be decided. The occupants of the post of president, one post of senior vice-president, four posts of vice president, one each position of secretary general and treasurer, two posts of joint secretary and five posts of an executive member will be decided, as per a letter from IOA.
The last date for receiving names for the electoral collage will be June 25 by 5:00 PM. Two nominations from each State/Union Territory will be made. All state/UT wrestling federations will nominate two persons each of their respective associations, who are part of the executive body to form the electoral collage for the election to elect the WFI’s executive committee, added the letter.

Preparation and display of electoral collage, circulation to affiliates and publishing the same on websites of IOA/WFI will be done on June 28.

Submissions of nominations for election will be from June 29 to July 1 from 11 AM to 5 PM. The preparation and display of nominations received by returning officer will be done on July 3 by 1 PM.

The scrutiny of nomination papers will be done on July 4 by 11 AM. The submission of the notice of withdrawal of candidates will be done between July 4 to July 7, till 5 PM. On July 8, a final list of candidates will be made by 11 AM, added the letter.

Polling will be done on July 11 from 11 AM to 1:20 PM. Counting of votes will start from 1:30 PM and results will be declared on the same day.

Olympians Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat along with other wrestlers had been on a protest in the national capital since the beginning of this year in order to press for the arrest of the Brij Bhushan over allegations of sexual harassment.

Earlier on June 13, Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) elections were announced to be held on July 6 amid the ongoing protest by wrestlers against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, by the newly-appointed returning officer for WFI elections Mahesh Mittal Kumar in a statement.

The process of filing nominations was also announced to start from on June 19.

“Whereas, the undersigned has been appointed as the Returning Officer by the Indian Olympic Association vide its letter No. IOA/I-28/2023/1350 dated 12th June 2023 for the purpose of conducting the election of the Executive Committee of the Wrestling Federation of India(WFI), which is an affiliate member of the Indian Olympic Association(IOA),” the statement by the office of the returning officer read.

The Indian Olympics Association (IOA) organised a three-member ad hoc committee in April as mandated by the Sports Ministry, and two members were named to oversee WFI’s day-to-day activities and pick wrestlers for international events in the interim term.

After a meeting with Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur, star Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia on Wednesday said the government assured that the ongoing probe by Delhi Police against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh will be completed before June 15.

Earlier in June, former Jammu and Kashmir High Court Chief Justice Mahesh Mittal Kumar was appointed as the returning officer for the Wrestling Federation of India elections by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).

Indian Olympic Association (IOA) Joint Secretary and Acting CEO Kalyan Chaubey on Monday confirmed the appointment of Justice MM Kumar through an official letter, also authorising him (Kumar) to appoint an Assistant Returning Officer (ARO) and other staff to assist him in conducting the elections.

The elections will be critical in moulding the future of wrestling in India and deciding the federation’s leadership. (ANI)

Indian Olympic Association Calls For Emergency Meet With Wrestlers

By LokMarg 20th January 2023

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has called for an immediate meeting with the protesting wrestlers, who have levelled charges of sexual harassment of women wrestlers by the WFI president and its coaches and mismanagement in the functioning of the federation, sources informed on Friday.

The meeting, as per the sources, will be held at 5.45 in the evening.
The IOA will conduct the meeting virtually with the wrestlers to discuss the allegations levelled by the ace grapplers as well as other complaints and demands they have put forward.

Saying they were fighting against the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), Commonwealth Games gold medallist Bajrang Punia appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur to hear their demands.

Several ace wrestlers of the country, including Sakshee Malikkh, Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and Ravi Dahiya, are participating in the sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, which began on Wednesday.

Wrestlers have levelled charges of sexual harassment of women wrestlers by the WFI president and its coaches and of mismanagement in the functioning of the federation. They have also demanded a complete overhaul of the federation.

The WFI president Brij Bhushan Saran Singh has refuted all allegations and claimed he will expose the ‘political conspiracy’ in a press conference in Uttar Pradesh’s Gonda today.

On Thursday some wrestlers had a meeting with Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur which stretched till early this morning.

However, according to sources the meeting remained inconclusive and the minister is likely to meet with grapplers again today at his residence.

Meanwhile, Vinesh, Bajrang, Sakshee, Ravi and Deepak on Friday wrote to PT Usha, president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on the ‘sexual harassment’ complaints against WFI chairman Brij Bhushan Saran Singh.

In a letter to the IOA president, the star grapplers accused the WFI chairman of sexual exploitation and financial irregularities. (ANI)

There Is A Lot To Learn From Modi’s Leadership: PT Usha

By LokMarg 16th December 2022

Newly-elected Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president India’s legendary athlete PT Usha on Friday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi.

Usha on Friday took to her Twitter handle to share two pictures featuring Prime Minister and said that there is a lot that people can learn from PM Modi’s leadership.

“It was a pleasure to meet and interact with Hon. PM @narendramodi ji at his esteemed office today. Lots to learn from his leadership and service to the nation,” PT Usha tweeted.

Earlier on Saturday, Usha was elected unopposed as the first woman president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).

The 58-year-old is also the first Olympian and the first international medallist to hold the top post in the 95-year-old history of IOA.

PT Usha’s election brings an end to a long-drawn crisis in the faction-ridden IOA which was warned of a possible suspension by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) if elections were not held this month.

The star sprinter Usha is one of the greatest athletes to have ever come out of India and brags four gold medals and seven silvers at the Asian Games. She missed out on a podium finish in the women’s 400m hurdles at the Los Angeles 1984 Olympics by 1/100th of a second. Her timing of 55.42s in LA still holds as a national record. (ANI)