The Sports Ministry has revoked the suspension imposed on the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), ending 15 months of uncertainty that has left Indian wrestlers in limbo, and clearing the way for selection trials for the upcoming Asian Championship in Amman.
The ministry had suspended the national body on December 24, 2023 for lapses in governance and procedural integrity by the new body, which was elected on December 21. It is pertinent to note for the record that the WFI’s 15-member executive committee, virtually to a man, are/were loyalists of political strongman and “unofficial” WFI supremo Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
PTI reports that the Sanjay Singh-led body had announced the conduct of Under-15 and Under-20 National Championships in Nandini Nagar, Gonda – the stronghold of Brij Bhushan – and the choice of venue irked the government since the former BJP MP was facing charges of multiple counts of sexual harassment.
The ministry, in its order issued on Monday and accessed by PTI, stated that the WFI has taken “compliant measures”, so in larger interest of the sport and athletes, the ministry has decided to lift the suspension.
There were complaints that the WFI was still operating from the residence of Brij Bhushan, prompting the ministry to form a verification committee, which performed a spot inspection and found that the federation had shifted its office to East Vinod Nagar in New Delhi.
The ministry was satisfied with the corrective measures taken and considering that not having a competent body in place will affect Indian wrestlers’ medal chances at 2026 Asian Games and 2028 Olympic Games, it ended the suspension.
“I thank the government for taking this step. It will allow us to function smoothly. It was needed for the sake of the sport. The athletes were suffering for lack of competitions,” Sanjay Singh told PTI.
The ministry, though, has asked the WFI to follow certain directions, such as the federation has to ensure that there is a balance of power among the elected office bearers, and it keeps itself disassociated from the suspended/terminated officials.
The newswire made the point that Prem Chand Lochab, the new general secretary, was elected from the rival camp and the ministry’s directive could be understood in that context.
“The EC of the WFI must give an undertaking in this regard within 4 weeks. Any violation of the undertaking will invite appropriate legal action, including the action under the Sports Code,” the ministry said in its order.
It also said that the WFI must ensure that the selection for all international events should be done in a free, fair and transparent manner as per the extant provisions of the Sports Code and the other latest instructions issued in this regard along with regulations issued from time-to-time by the UWW (United World Wrestling).
The WFI president said there is nothing that can’t be followed.
“We have already shifted to a new office and soon we will call for an EC meeting and also issue a circular for the selection trials. We have no issues in following these instructions,” he said.
The Asian Championship is scheduled to be held in Amman, Jordan from March 25.
