After months of tumult, amid serious allegations against the erstwhile administrators and uncertainties about the ensuing ones, the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has been handed a suspension order by the international wrestling governing body, United World Wrestling (UWW).
While UWW’s decision will not come as a surprise for the ones closely following the Indian wrestling melee, in this article, we will explain all that you need to know about the suspension, and its possible effects.
Explained: WFI Suspended – But Why? What Does It Mean for Indian Wrestlers?
1. Why Has the WFI Been Suspended?
The WFI has been suspended by the UWW for the inability to conduct an election within a stipulated period. The decision was taken on by the apex international wrestling governing body on Wednesday, 23 August.
“The UWW Disciplinary Chamber decided on Wednesday that it had sufficient grounds to impose the provisional suspension on the body as the situation in the federation has prevailed for at least six months. The Chamber noted that the absence of a regularly elected president and a board does not comply with the UWW regulations and the conditions for membership,” the statement from UWW read.
Expand2. When Was the WFI Election Scheduled To Be Held?
The election was supposed to be held on 12 August. But also on 11 July before that, and 6 July, and 7 May too. There have been numerous postponements, owing to varying reasons.
For better comprehension, let us have a closer, case-by-case look at the different postponements.
Taarikh Pe Taarikh: Exhibit A
On 16 April – nearly three months after the wrestlers first sat on a dharna in Delhi’s Jantar Mantar to protest against the-then president of WFI, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh – the six-member oversight committee formed by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports (MYAS) submitted their probe report to the ministry.
Subsequently, it was announced that the election to appoint a new WFI president and executive committee will be held on 7 May. However, wrestlers resumed protest at Jantar Mantar a week later, with MYAS then opting to postpone the elections.
It was announced that the Indian Olympic Association will be forming an ad-hoc committee to run the operations of WFI and also conduct fresh elections, with the process stated to be completed within 45 days. A three-member committee, led by IOA chief PT Usha, was formed on 27 April.
Exhibit B
The elections were then scheduled to be held on 6 July, but another round of postponement ensued. On 22 June, the ad-hoc committee’s chairperson, Bhupender Singh Bajwa confirmed that the elections will be held on 11 July instead, owing to numerous internal disputes, with a minimum of 10 state bodies raising concerns over differing issues.
At the heart of the problem were questions on affiliations of certain state bodies, who sought voting rights despite not being affiliated with the WFI. This included federations from Haryana, Telangana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and Maharashtra.
Exhibit C
There was another postponement announced just three days after the ad-hoc committee had finalised a new date. Responding to a petition filed by the Assam Wrestling Association, the Gauhati High Court stayed WFI elections on 25 June.
The Assam body’s petition was against WFI, claiming that despite being eligible to be an affiliated member of the national federation, they were not granted voting rights. The next hearing date for the case was finalised on 17 July.
Exhibit D
On 21 July, it was announced that the elections, after going through date alterations a few times too many, would be finally held on 12 August. Subsequently, 7 August was finalised as the date for publishing the final list of contesting candidates.
Alas! Another twist, a rather unforeseen one, arrived in the tale. On 11 August – a day prior to the elections, with the wrestling community waiting with bated breath – Punjab and Haryana High Court issued another stay.
This order came after the Haryana Wrestling Association (HWA) filed a petition, claiming they have the right to be WFI’s affiliated member organisation from the state, and not the ones who had voting rights – the Haryana Amateur Wrestling Association (HAWA). The next hearing date was scheduled for 28 August.
Expand3. When Did the UWW Get Involved?
The international body, as it should have been according to the regulations, had been a close observer of the events unfolding in the wrestlers’ protest against the erstwhile WFI president.
Following the detention of Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia, UWW issued a statement on 30 May, criticising the treatment of wrestlers. “UWW firmly condemns the treatment and detention of the wrestlers. It expresses its disappointment over the lack of results of the investigations so far. UWW urges the relevant authorities to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into the allegations,” their statement read.
UWW had strongly condemned the detention of Indian wrestlers.
(Photo: PTI)
Subsequently, they also mentioned that as stated by the Indian ministry, fresh elections must be completed within 45 days of the ad-hoc committee’s formation, failing which, WFI will be suspended.
“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 forcing the athletes to compete under a neutral flag,” the global federation stated on 30 May.
Expand4. Did UWW Warn Before the Suspension?
Indeed, the suspension did not come without a prior warning. According to UWW, the ad-hoc committee running WFI’s operations were warned about the potential suspension in July, and they decided to suspend WFI after the last postponement.
“The wrestling affairs in India were run by an ad hoc body which was warned by UWW on July 3 about the possible suspension of the WFI should elections not be held in due course. Recently, the elective general assembly was postponed due to an unknown date, which led UWW to act according to the resolution of the UWW Bureau on June 27, 2023,” UWW stated.
Expand5. What Will Happen to the Indian Wrestlers, Now That the WFI Is Suspended?
The suspension will not have any effect on the wrestlers from their individual perspectives, albeit, the nation will be affected.
The 2023 World Wrestling Championships are scheduled to be held in Belgrade, Serbia, from 16 to 24 September, with the Indian grapplers set to contest trails on 25 and 26 August.
With WFI being suspended, Indian wrestlers will not be able to compete under the national flag at the 2023 World Wrestling Championships.
(Photo: PTI)
With WFI now being suspended the wrestlers will not be able to compete under the Indian flag at Belgrade, and instead, will have to compete under the UWW flag.
“Wrestlers and their support personnel [individuals with a high-performance, medical or technical role such as coaches, assistant coaches, sports physicians or masseurs] remain authorized to participate in all UWW-sanctioned events. However, they shall do so under the UWW flag,” the international federation stated.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)
Expand
Why Has the WFI Been Suspended?
The WFI has been suspended by the UWW for the inability to conduct an election within a stipulated period. The decision was taken on by the apex international wrestling governing body on Wednesday, 23 August.
“The UWW Disciplinary Chamber decided on Wednesday that it had sufficient grounds to impose the provisional suspension on the body as the situation in the federation has prevailed for at least six months. The Chamber noted that the absence of a regularly elected president and a board does not comply with the UWW regulations and the conditions for membership,” the statement from UWW read.
When Was the WFI Election Scheduled To Be Held?
The election was supposed to be held on 12 August. But also on 11 July before that, and 6 July, and 7 May too. There have been numerous postponements, owing to varying reasons.
For better comprehension, let us have a closer, case-by-case look at the different postponements.
Taarikh Pe Taarikh: Exhibit A
On 16 April – nearly three months after the wrestlers first sat on a dharna in Delhi’s Jantar Mantar to protest against the-then president of WFI, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh – the six-member oversight committee formed by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports (MYAS) submitted their probe report to the ministry.
Subsequently, it was announced that the election to appoint a new WFI president and executive committee will be held on 7 May. However, wrestlers resumed protest at Jantar Mantar a week later, with MYAS then opting to postpone the elections.
It was announced that the Indian Olympic Association will be forming an ad-hoc committee to run the operations of WFI and also conduct fresh elections, with the process stated to be completed within 45 days. A three-member committee, led by IOA chief PT Usha, was formed on 27 April.
Exhibit B
The elections were then scheduled to be held on 6 July, but another round of postponement ensued. On 22 June, the ad-hoc committee’s chairperson, Bhupender Singh Bajwa confirmed that the elections will be held on 11 July instead, owing to numerous internal disputes, with a minimum of 10 state bodies raising concerns over differing issues.
At the heart of the problem were questions on affiliations of certain state bodies, who sought voting rights despite not being affiliated with the WFI. This included federations from Haryana, Telangana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and Maharashtra.
Exhibit C
There was another postponement announced just three days after the ad-hoc committee had finalised a new date. Responding to a petition filed by the Assam Wrestling Association, the Gauhati High Court stayed WFI elections on 25 June.
The Assam body’s petition was against WFI, claiming that despite being eligible to be an affiliated member of the national federation, they were not granted voting rights. The next hearing date for the case was finalised on 17 July.
Exhibit D
On 21 July, it was announced that the elections, after going through date alterations a few times too many, would be finally held on 12 August. Subsequently, 7 August was finalised as the date for publishing the final list of contesting candidates.
Alas! Another twist, a rather unforeseen one, arrived in the tale. On 11 August – a day prior to the elections, with the wrestling community waiting with bated breath – Punjab and Haryana High Court issued another stay.
This order came after the Haryana Wrestling Association (HWA) filed a petition, claiming they have the right to be WFI’s affiliated member organisation from the state, and not the ones who had voting rights – the Haryana Amateur Wrestling Association (HAWA). The next hearing date was scheduled for 28 August.
When Did the UWW Get Involved?
The international body, as it should have been according to the regulations, had been a close observer of the events unfolding in the wrestlers’ protest against the erstwhile WFI president.
Following the detention of Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia, UWW issued a statement on 30 May, criticising the treatment of wrestlers. “UWW firmly condemns the treatment and detention of the wrestlers. It expresses its disappointment over the lack of results of the investigations so far. UWW urges the relevant authorities to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into the allegations,” their statement read.
UWW had strongly condemned the detention of Indian wrestlers.
(Photo: PTI)
Subsequently, they also mentioned that as stated by the Indian ministry, fresh elections must be completed within 45 days of the ad-hoc committee’s formation, failing which, WFI will be suspended.
“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 forcing the athletes to compete under a neutral flag,” the global federation stated on 30 May.
Did UWW Warn Before the Suspension?
Indeed, the suspension did not come without a prior warning. According to UWW, the ad-hoc committee running WFI’s operations were warned about the potential suspension in July, and they decided to suspend WFI after the last postponement.
“The wrestling affairs in India were run by an ad hoc body which was warned by UWW on July 3 about the possible suspension of the WFI should elections not be held in due course. Recently, the elective general assembly was postponed due to an unknown date, which led UWW to act according to the resolution of the UWW Bureau on June 27, 2023,” UWW stated.
What Will Happen to the Indian Wrestlers, Now That the WFI Is Suspended?
The suspension will not have any effect on the wrestlers from their individual perspectives, albeit, the nation will be affected.
The 2023 World Wrestling Championships are scheduled to be held in Belgrade, Serbia, from 16 to 24 September, with the Indian grapplers set to contest trails on 25 and 26 August.
With WFI being suspended, Indian wrestlers will not be able to compete under the national flag at the 2023 World Wrestling Championships.
(Photo: PTI)
With WFI now being suspended the wrestlers will not be able to compete under the Indian flag at Belgrade, and instead, will have to compete under the UWW flag.
“Wrestlers and their support personnel [individuals with a high-performance, medical or technical role such as coaches, assistant coaches, sports physicians or masseurs] remain authorized to participate in all UWW-sanctioned events. However, they shall do so under the UWW flag,” the international federation stated.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)