New Delhi: The United World Wrestling (UWW), which serves as the global governing body for wrestling, has taken the decision to suspend the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) due to their failure to conduct timely elections.
This suspension has significant consequences, as it prevents Indian wrestlers from competing in the upcoming World Championships under the Indian flag.
As a result of this suspension, Indian wrestlers will be compelled to participate in the Olympic-qualifying World Championships, scheduled to commence on September 16, as ‘neutral athletes.’
The delay in elections was attributed to the ad-hoc panel, led by Bhupender Singh Bajwa, which was appointed by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on April 27.
Unfortunately, this panel failed to meet the 45-day deadline specified for organizing the elections.
The UWW had issued a warning on April 28, cautioning that it might suspend the Indian federation if the election deadline was not met. Subsequently, on Wednesday night, the UWW communicated to the ad-hoc panel that the WFI had been suspended due to their inability to hold elections for their executive committee.
Initially, the WFI had slated its elections for May 7. However, the Sports Ministry intervened and deemed the election process null and void.
The election timeline experienced numerous delays, partly because several state bodies that had been disaffiliated or were dissatisfied with the proceedings sought legal recourse to secure their participation in the polls.
