WFI Suspended by Wrestling's World Body, No Indian Flag at World C'ships
The WFI has been suspended by wrestling's parent body.
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United World Wrestling (UWW), wrestling's parent body has suspended the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) on account of the Indian sports body not having conducted a fresh election to appoint a new administration.
The suspension will impact India's wrestlers participating in the upcoming Wrestling World Championships as they will not be allowed to compete under India's flag and when they do win a gold medal, India's national anthem will not be played.
In May this year, the UWW had written to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) warning of an impending suspension if the WFI elections were not held within the next 45 days.
"UWW will request further information about the next elective general assembly from the IOA and the Ad-hoc Committee of the WFI. The 45-day deadline that was initially set to hold this elective assembly shall be respected. Failing to do so may lead UWW to suspend the federation, thereby reminding that UWW already took a measure in this situation by reallocating the Asian Championship planned in New Delhi earlier this year," the statement issued on 30 May had said.
The Wrestling Federation of India has been run by an ad-hoc body since January this year when the country's leading wrestlers started a protest against former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, that has since resulted in six female wrestlers filing FIRs of sexual harassment against him.
After much delay, the election was set to take place on 12 August but it was postponed once again when the Punjab and Haryana High Court put a stay on the election on the basis of a petition filed by the Haryana Wrestling Association (HWA). With only one association being allowed to represent each state in the WFI election, the HWA's petition challenged the move to allow the Haryana Amateur Wrestling Association to cast votes in the WFI polls.
Adjourning the case for August 28, Justice Vinod S. Bhardwaj observed: "As the counsel for the respective parties contend that they have crucial right to cast vote for the elections to the Executing Committee of the Wrestling Federation of India which is scheduled to be held tomorrow i.e. 12.08.2023, election of the Executive committee of Wrestling Federation of India is ordered to be stayed till the next date of hearing."