The provisional committee, led by Bhupender Singh Bajwa, missed the 45-day election deadline, which has led to the suspension of the WFI.
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The United World Wrestling (UWW), the international authority for the sport, has suspended the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) for failing to hold elections within the given time. As a result, the Indian wrestlers won’t be able to compete under their national flag in the upcoming World Championships that kick off on September 16. Instead, they’ll have to participate as ‘neutral athletes.’
The provisional committee, led by Bhupender Singh Bajwa, missed the 45-day election deadline, which has led to the suspension of the WFI. This news came right before the national team trials for the World Championships 2023, which were to take place in Patiala. The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) had put this temporary committee in place on April 27, 2023, with the directive to conduct elections within 45 days.
On April 28, 2023, the UWW had earlier warned that WFI could face suspension if it didn’t meet the election deadline. An IOA insider informed PTI that the suspension was officially communicated to the provisional committee. However, Gian Singh, a member of the ad-hoc panel, indicated that there was a breakdown in internal communication. “Mr Bajwa does not call us for discussion any more,” said Gian Singh to PTI, pointing out the committee’s failure to properly handle the situation.
The suspension is a huge setback, especially after the recent achievement of the Indian women’s U-20 team winning a historic team title at the World Wrestling Championships 2023 in Amman. Although they can still compete under the Indian flag at the Asian Games starting on September 23 in Hangzhou, their performance in the senior World Championships in Serbia will not contribute to national records.
The election turmoil has been ongoing, with several postponements and legal challenges from various state wrestling bodies. Initially, elections were supposed to happen on May 7, but these were declared null by the Sports Ministry, leading to the IOA setting up the ad-hoc panel. Various state bodies have since taken the issue to court, delaying the electoral process further.
In a letter dated April 28, 2023, the UWW also informed the IOA and the Sports Ministry that they had already shifted the location of the Asian Championship, initially planned in New Delhi, due to controversies surrounding the outgoing WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who faces allegations of sexual abuse against multiple women wrestlers.
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