WFI to Challenge Delhi High Court Order: Fears Over Indian Wrestlers' Participation at World Championships

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New Delhi, Aug 16: The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has decided to challenge the Delhi High Court's recent order, which reinstated the Indian Olympic Association's (IOA) ad-hoc committee to manage the federation's affairs.

The WFI expressed concerns that this "interference" could jeopardize the participation of Indian wrestlers in the upcoming World Championships.

The controversy erupted following a plea by prominent Indian wrestlers, including Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, and her husband Satyawart Kadian. The wrestlers sought a stay on the WFI's activities as the national governing body for wrestling.

In response, Justice Sachin Datta passed an interim order, leaving the door open for the IOA to reconstitute the committee previously headed by Bhupender Singh Bajwa.

The IOA had dissolved this ad-hoc panel on April 4, following the WFI elections, which led to the lifting of a suspension by the United World Wrestling (UWW) on February 13. However, the Delhi High Court's ruling has once again thrown the WFI's functioning into uncertainty.

WFI President Sanjay Singh voiced strong opposition to the court's decision, stating, "We are going to take it to a double bench. The IOA had dissolved the ad-hoc panel. We will also approach the world governing body UWW and the International Olympic Committee (IOC). They had warned that outside interference may impact our athletes."

Singh's concerns are well-founded, as the U-17 World Championship in Amman, Jordan (August 19-25), and the U-20 World Championship in Pontevedra, Spain (September 2-8) are fast approaching. Any disruptions in WFI's management could potentially lead to Indian wrestlers being barred from participating in these crucial events.

The UWW had made its stance clear in an April 25 letter to the WFI, stating that the continuation of an ad-hoc panel was unacceptable. UWW President Nenad Lalovic warned that any external interference could result in the re-imposition of a temporary suspension on the WFI, which could extend to the exclusion of Indian athletes from international competitions.

The ongoing turmoil stems from the Centre's suspension of the WFI on December 24, 2023, just three days after the federation elected new office bearers. The suspension was due to alleged violations of the WFI's constitution, leading the Centre to request the IOA to form an ad-hoc committee to oversee the federation's operations. This decision has now led to a legal battle with high stakes for Indian wrestling on the global stage.

As the WFI prepares to take its case to a higher court, the fate of Indian wrestlers' participation in the upcoming World Championships hangs in the balance. The outcome of this legal confrontation will have significant implications for the future of wrestling in India and the country's representation in international competitions.