UWW suspends WFI as ad-hoc panel fails to hold timely elections, Indian wrestlers won't play under India flag at Worlds

New Delhi, Aug 24: The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has been suspended on Thursday (August 24) by United World Wrestling (UWW), the world governing body for wrestling, for not holding elections on time.

The development will not allow Indian grapplers to compete at the upcoming World Championships under the Indian flag, which is the norm when a country's sporting body is suspended. They will be competing under the International Olympic Committee (IOC) flag.

The decision was taken by UWW as the ad-hoc panel, led by Bhupender Singh Bajwa, did not honour the 45-day deadline for conducting the elections. The Indian wrestlers will now have to compete as 'neutral athletes' at the Olympic-qualifying World Championships starting September 16 in Belgrade, Serbia.

The IOA had appointed the ad-hoc panel on April 27 and the committee was supposed to hold elections within 45 days. UWW had on April 28 warned that it could suspend the Indian federation if the deadline to hold elections is not honoured.

"The UWW communicated to the ad-hoc panel on Wednesday night that WFI has been suspended for not holding elections to its executive committee," an IOA source was quoted by PTI.

Originally, the WFI was to hold elections on May 7 but the Sports Ministry had declared the process as null and void. The elections have been delayed multiple times with multiple disgruntled and disaffiliated state bodies moving the court, seeking the right to participate in the polls.

A formal comment from the Indian Olympic Association and the ad-hoc panel, led by Bajwa, is yet to be released. But ad-hoc panel member Gian Singh told PTI that they are being kept in the dark by Bajwa on the related developments and that they are not part of decision-making anymore.

"I have also heard that WFI has been suspended but I can't tell you what the ad-hoc panel will do now. Mr Bajwa does not call us for discussion any more. I did not even know how the criteria were finalised for the Worlds trials," Gian told PTI.

"Mr Bajwa is too busy, it seems," he added, indicating that the ad-hoc panel has failed to properly manage issues at hand. Bajwa was contacted for a comment but he did not return calls or respond to text messages.

(With PTI inputs)