On Tuesday, the Sports Ministry lifted its suspension on the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), allowing the organisation to conduct domestic tournaments and select national teams for international competitions, news agency PTI reported. . The WFI had been suspended on December 24, 2023, due to the premature announcement of the Under-15 (U-15) and Under-20 (U-20) National Championships.
The Sanjay Singh-led panel won the elections on December 21, 2023, but the government was irked by the choice of venue for the National Championships in Nandini Nagar, Gonda—the stronghold of former WFI chief Brijbhushan Sharan Singh.
In its order, the ministry said that the WFI had taken corrective measures, so it decided to lift the suspension.
The WFI elections were held in December 2023, and former president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh’s loyalist, Sanjay Singh, and his panel won the polls by large margins.
Singh, the UP Wrestling Association vice-president from Varanasi, secured 40 votes against seven of his rival and 2010 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Anita Sheoran.
Wrestler Selection in Limbo, Delhi HC Expresses Dismay
The Delhi High Court expressed deep concern over the “unhappier” situation where no competent body exists to select wrestlers for international events. The court highlighted the urgency of resolving the issue to ensure wrestler participation in upcoming tournaments, notably the Asian Championship, as deadlines have passed. The court allowed time for the Centre to decide on the issue and observed that even if the ad-hoc committee was restored, the UWW would have to recognise it to enable the participation of wrestlers in the Asian Wrestling Championships. The hearing is deferred until March 11th.
The wrestlers, who were at the forefront of the 2023 protest at Jantar Mantar demanding the arrest of former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh for alleged sexual harassment of seven women grapplers, moved the high court in 2024 for setting aside and declaring as illegal the elections held to elect the office bearers of the federation.
