India loses hosting rights of Asian Wrestling Championships: Reports

India is all set to lose the hosting rights of the Asian Wrestling Championships owing to complaints of sexual harassment against Wrestling Federation of India president, Brij Bhushan Singh.

United World Wrestling (UWW) is all set to move the tournament out of India as reported by Times of India.

The Asian wrestling Championships were scheduled to take place in New Delhi from March 28 to April 2.

The apex council of wrestling is expected to announce a new host city soon and Indian wrestlers will be allowed to participate in the event.

The oversight committee appointed to look over WFI's daily activities had earlier asked UWW for the postponement of the event due to its proximity to the Women's World Boxing Championships at the same venue.

UWW, however, rejected the request and cited a written complaint received against the WFI President from wrestlers as one of the reasons. The other possible reason is the investigation going on in the matter which will take two more weeks and it can create problems for the world body as organizers.

This decision of UWW comes one month after top wrestlers of the country including Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, Ravi Dahiya and many others started a protest against WFI President. The allegations made by wrestlers were of sexual harassment, bullying, corruption, and mismanagement.

After several meetings, the government set up an oversight committee headed by Olympic medalist boxer MC Mary Kom to probe the charges. The committee was supposed to deliver the reports in four weeks but due to delay in the announcement, it is getting delayed.

Asian Wrestling Championships would have been first big international event in country after pandemic and top wrestlers from the continent were expected to be part of it.