New Delhi. United World Wrestling has cancelled the membership of the Wrestling Federation of India. This has happened due to not being able to conduct elections in 45 days. The elections of the Wrestling Federation of India were proposed on 12 August. But the Punjab-Haryana High Court had banned the elections a day before the voting. Due to this decision, wrestlers will not be allowed to compete under the Indian flag in the upcoming World Championship.
Indian wrestlers will have to compete as ‘neutral athletes’ in the Olympic-qualifying World Championships starting on September 16 as the Bhupinder Singh Bajwa-led ad hoc committee failed to meet the World Wrestling Federation’s deadline of holding elections within 45 days. Let us tell you that the Indian Olympic Association had formed an ad hoc committee on April 27 and this committee had to conduct the elections of the Indian Wrestling Association within 45 days but the committee failed to do so.
The United World Wrestling had warned on April 28 that it could suspend the Wrestling Federation of India if the deadline for holding elections was not respected. An IOA source told PTI, “The UWW informed the ad hoc committee on Wednesday night that the WFI has been suspended for not holding elections to its executive committee.”
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Originally, the Wrestling Federation of India was to hold elections on May 7 but the Sports Ministry declared the process invalid. Different state wrestling associations have moved court over their participation in the elections. This is why the wrestling association elections are getting delayed.
Tags: Wrestling Federation of India
FIRST PUBLISHED : August 24, 2023, 12:37 IST