Wrestlers complain of unpaid dues to Oversight Committee; Brij Bhushan says he made contract announcement in ‘excitement’ of getting a sponsor

— “In 2019, I was told I would be given Rs 1 lakh per month from the money they received from (sponsorship deal with) Tata. After that, I got a cheque of Rs 5.5 lakh and later, in 2021, Rs 4.5 lakh. I received approximately Rs 10 lakh,” Ravi Dahiya, Tokyo Olympics silver medallist.

— “I was in Grade B and was entitled to Rs 25 lakh per year as per the contract. So far, I have received 2 cheques totalling to Rs 5.25 approximately,” Pooja Dhanda, 2018 World Championship bronze medallist.

— “I was promised Rs 1 lakh per month but I just received Rs 6 lakh lump sum and was told I’d get the rest of the money later,” Deepak Punia, 2019 World Championship silver medallist.

These are testimonies of a number of the wrestlers who deposed earlier than the government-appointed Oversight Committee, whose full report is talked about within the Delhi Police chargesheet.

The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) had introduced annual central contracts for Indian wrestlers in 2018. In the identical 12 months Tata Motors got here on board because the principal sponsor of the WFI.

Like the trio, each wrestler who appeared for the hearings identified the false guarantees made by the Wrestling Federation of India, unpaid dues and non-existent contracts, with one among them telling the committee she questioned the place the ‘sponsorship money promised to them went’.

Yet, as they did with the sexual harassment allegations, the MC Mary Kom-led panel didn’t increase a crimson flag or suggest an investigation or audit from competent authorities.

Instead, it merely steered that the WFI ‘use services of experts in contract management’, referred to as for ‘clear communication’ with stakeholders and suggested them to ‘maintain proper records of any contract which they have entered’.

When the federal government appointed the Oversight Committee in January, it additionally tasked the members to look into the allegations of economic mismanagement made by the wrestlers other than the sexual harassment claims.

In its abstract titled ‘Breach of Players Contract’, the panel famous: “Various players during their deposition brought out that they had a contract with Tata Motors, who are title sponsors of the WFI, wherein they were promised that every player would be provided sponsorship money based on a certain grading formulated by WFI.”

Through the examinations of ‘various documents provided by the WFI’, it emerged that there was ‘no such provision made in the contract’.

However, after the athletes had demanded they need to be paid from the sponsorship quantity in the event that they have been to put on singlets bearing the sponsor’s emblem, a recent contract was drafted by the federation’s industrial companions.

Brij Bhushan mentioned the announcement of paid contracts for gamers was made in ‘excitement’ of getting a brand new sponsor on board, which by no means materialised.

During his deposition, the WFI’s assistant secretary Vinod Tomar, a co-accused within the sexual harassment case, mentioned they signed a contract with ‘Vinesh, Bajrang and Sakshi’. Tomar mentioned there have been two different athletes who signed the contract however he ‘couldn’t bear in mind their names.’ When the committee requested for a duplicate of the contract neither Tomar nor the athletes have been in possession of it.

According to Tomar, Bajrang’s annual contract was price Rs 30 lakh, Vinesh, he mentioned, was both ’Rs 20 or 25 lakh’ and Sakshi’s contract was valued at Rs 20 lakh.

When a lawyer co-opted into the committee requested concerning the course of to resolve which participant would get a contract and its price, Tomar replied: “(Former) President (Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh), Secretary (VN Prasood), etc met and decided that players who are preparing for the Olympics would get Rs 30 lakh, Rs 25 lakh for World Championship medallist…”

However, the athletes mentioned they didn’t obtain the promised sum.

World Championship silver medallist Anshu Malik instructed the committee: “In February 2021, I read a statement (by the federation) in a newspaper that I along with Sonam (Malik) was upgraded to A category although we did not receive anything in Grade B… I had received one cheque of Rs 2.5 lakh but did not know for which category contract it was. We weren’t asked to sign any contract but were told we would get Rs 2.5 lakh every three months. Later, I received one (installment of) Rs 2.5 lakh on June 8 but nothing so far after that.”

Rio Olympics bronze medallist Sakshi Malik mentioned she was ‘confused to date’ whether or not she featured in Grade A or B. “I think I received an installment of Rs 5 or 6 lakh. Where the rest of the money went I do not know. I used to call the federation and they put it on the sponsors while the sponsors blamed the federation,” Sakshi instructed the committee.

World Championship medallist Vinesh Phogat mentioned she was promised a contract price Rs 25 lakh however obtained paid Rs 11-11.50 lakh in two installments.

Former World Championship bronze medallist and ex-Asian champion Sarita Mor mentioned the federation claimed they’d despatched three installments however she acquired only one, amounting to Rs 67,000.

Bajrang, whose contract was price Rs 30 lakh, was given Rs 22 lakh, in keeping with Tomar. Bajrang contested the declare, saying he didn’t obtain the mentioned quantity. When the committee countered Tomar, asking him why the promised Rs 30 lakh was not paid to Bajrang, he blamed it on the sponsors’ calls for.