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The Brij Bhushan episode in the WFI (Wrestling Federation of India) has shown the world of sports that, particularly in India where politicians have been overwhelmingly controlling the sporting bodies at their whims and fancies, some even leading to the extent of sexually exploiting and assaulting the female wrestlers. This is one of the main reasons behind the mediocre performances of the country’s sporting world. Otherwise, India is not dearth of talented sportspersons of international standard. For instance, few wrestlers those who have achieved laurels in Olympic Games and other World Championships are the products of the respective Akharas that are flourishing in the states of Haryana, Delhi, Maharashtra, etc. and not the products of the WFI per se. It is true that, in order to achieve the desired results in sporting fields, political will is also required for infrastructural development and other strategic and logistic aspects. Accordingly, when the Nagaland Olympic Association is headed by the honourable Chief Minister, most of the other officials should be comprised of sportspersons. Only then, the sport in the state will progress in the way it wanted to be. Likewise, all the other different state level sport associations should be manned by sportspersons. In other words, the Nagaland Olympic Association (NOA) should make it mandatory that only sportspersons be allowed to run different sport associations in the state level, particularly, the Olympic disciplines. Only then, the sports in the state will progress to the highest level.
[bsa_pro_ad_space id=1]In this regard, let me narrate the journey of Nagaland Wrestling Association (NWA). Formed in 1967, basically with an aim to promote Naga Style Wrestling, the affiliated units are Angami Sports Association, Zeliang Wrestling Association and Chakhesang Wrestling Association. Individual Championship started in 1972, the Championship is held after every alternate year, initially affiliated to Indian Wrestling Association. Free Style Wrestling was introduced in the early 1990s, affiliated to WFI in 1999, since then participating in all the national championships in different categories both in men and women championships. By the turn of the 21st century, NWA was placed in the top 10 (Men and Women) in all India rankings. However, 25 years after its affiliation to WFI, NWA is now facing difficulty in finding wrestlers to compete at the national championships, as a result, on the verge of being disaffiliated any time soon.
The elections of the WFI is in the offing, and the contesting parties are; Sanjay Kumar Singh, vice president of UP Wrestling Association and ‘a trusted aid’ of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, former president, the accused in sexual harassment, versus Anita Sheoran, a gold medalist in 2010 Common Wealth Games, Delhi, supported by the top indian wrestlers including the World champions and Olympic medalist.
NWA, as an affiliated unit of the WFI, is a part of the electoral college and found to be in the camp of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, enjoying the 5 Star facilities provided by him. In this extraordinary situation, the NWA choosing Brij Bhushan over Anita Sharan may be their prerogative but it does not go well with the Naga tradition and shows the unsporting spirit to the wrestling fraternity in the state.
It’s also time for ASA, CWA and ZWA to think over and bring the sportspersons to lead their respective sporting bodies in the near future in the larger interest of the people of Nagaland and the wrestlers in particular.
K Puroh
kuhupoyopuroh@gmail.com