Trouble for Indian Wrestling Community as Legal Battle Adds to Confusion Ahead of World U23 Championships

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The ongoing legal battle between former international wrestlers and the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has taken a new turn, forcing the WFI to cancel the national selection trials scheduled for October 6 and 7 in Haryana. These trials were meant to select the team for the upcoming World U23 Wrestling Championships in Albania, set to take place from October 21 to 27.

To avoid the embarrassment of not sending a national team to the World Championships and to meet the October 7 deadline for submitting final entries, the Indian wrestling body has renamed the selection trials for the 2024 World U23 Championships as the 'United World Wrestling Talent Search'.

This event is now scheduled for Sunday and Monday in Haryana. The venue for this event will be the Varinder Kumar Wrestling Academy in Narnaul, Haryana.

In order to avoid contempt of court, the WFI quickly issued a circular on Saturday to cancel the national trials. "This is to inform you that the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has cancelled the selection trials scheduled for October 6 and 7 to select the U23 wrestling team across all weight categories, as well as the senior wrestling team in non-Olympic weight categories," said Sanjay Kumar Singh, president of WFI, in a statement issued on Saturday.

It is understood that the WFI will appeal the Delhi High Court's order next week.

The "United World Wrestling Talent Search" event on October 6 and 7 in Narnaul will provide an opportunity for top male and female wrestlers to earn a spot in the upcoming World U23 Championships, according to a senior wrestling coach.

"WFI had no option but to rename the selection trials in order to meet the October 7 deadline for submitting the national team's final entries to the world body," said Kirpa Shankar Bishnoi, an Arjuna Awardee and former international wrestler.

According to the Delhi High Court's order, the WFI currently lacks the jurisdiction to conduct selection trials. "However, a solution has been found to provide promising wrestlers in the country with an opportunity," added Bishnoi, the Arjuna Awardee.

Earlier in April, the world governing body for wrestling made it clear that only the WFI has the authority to send the national team. No other entity can select and send the team for international events sanctioned by the UWW, as such a team would be rejected. "UWW will not entertain third-party interference," the world body had communicated to the WFI in April this year.

Medal winners from the national U23 competition will be eligible to participate in the two-day talent search event. However, a few wrestlers, including Antim Panghal, who competed in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, have been given a chance by the national wrestling body to compete in the Narnaul talent search event.