World wrestling governing body suspends WFI, Indian wrestlers will now compete as neutral

Published at :August 24, 2023 at 2:56 PM

Modified at :January 13, 2024 at 6:18 PM

(Courtesy : Olympic.com)

Indians will be allowed to participate under nuetral flags at the World Competitions

The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has been swiftly suspended by United World Wrestling (UWW) due to their failure to hold elections on time. This development poses a significant setback for India as a nation at the international level.

The WFI has encountered a series of controversies, resulting in significant delays in its elections. Originally scheduled for June 2023, the elections have been repeatedly postponed due to protests by Indian wrestlers and legal petitions from various state units.

Due to the lapse in conducting elections within the designated 45-day period, Indian wrestlers will be deprived of the opportunity to compete at the upcoming World Championships under their national flag. Instead, they will be required to participate as ‘neutral athletes’ at the World Championships (Olympic qualifying tournament) commencing on September 16th.

This decision emerged from the ad-hoc panel led by Bhupender Singh Bajwa, which failed to meet the prescribed deadline.

The election date initially set by the Returning Officer for the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) was July 11th. However, the Assam Wrestling Association filed a petition in the Gauhati High Court and obtained a stay on the polls on June 25th, until the next hearing scheduled for July 28th. Also, the decision made by the Andhra Pradesh Amateur Wrestling Association was brought to the attention of the Supreme Court, which subsequently overturned the ruling of the Gauhati High Court on July 18. As a result, this development has cleared the path for the forthcoming conduct of the polls.

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The WFI was temporarily suspended in January and subsequently in May, following protests by prominent Indian wrestlers who raised allegations against the organization’s operations, specifically targeting then President Brij Bhushan Singh – for sexual assault on female wrestlers.

Ultimately, United World Wrestling (UWW) issued a warning on April 28, warning about the potential suspension of the Indian federation if they fail to adhere to the stipulated deadline for conducting elections. It is indeed a significant setback for the Indian wrestling fraternity and dedicated fans who have consistently held high expectations for their wrestlers to win medals and uphold the national flag with pride at international events.

To clarify, Indian wrestlers will be allowed to participate at the upcoming Hangzhou Asian Games as well.

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