The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) withdrew the Indian team from the World Championship on Wednesday, informing the world regulatory organization, UWW, that the sports ministry was interfering with their autonomy. The senior World Championship in 12 non-Olympic categories will be contested in Tirana, Albania, beginning October 28. The WFI recently announced selection trials for the U23 and World Championship, which were challenged as contempt of court by protesting wrestlers who questioned the constitutionality of the suspended federation’s selection process.
Satyawart Kadian, Sakshi Malik’s husband, has sought the court, arguing that the WFI should be prosecuted with contempt of court. We will not be able to send the Indian squad to the World Championship today; we have informed the UWW,” a WFI source told PTI.
If the ministry lifts the suspension, none of these difficulties will arise. It’s awful that wrestlers have to suffer because of a few wrestlers and the government refuses to lift the suspension,” the source continued. The Sports Ministry suspended the WFI on December 24, shortly after the election of new office bearers.
The MYAS ordered the WFI to cease carrying out the day-to-day administration of the WFI on December 24, 2023, and directed the Indian Olympic Association (NOC of India) to form an Ad-Hoc Committee for WFI governance,” WFI President Sanjay Singh wrote in his letter to UWW President Nenad Lalovic.
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) dismissed the ad hoc council that managed the Federation in March of this year after UWW lifted the ban on WFI in February. The WFI confirmed its support for the PT Usha-led Indian Olympic Association (IOA).
“Though the IOA through its chief executive Ms. PT Usha had supported the WFI in this matter, it is the MYAS that has become causing the issue creator because of the letter they wrote of 24th December 2023 which is being used as a tool for interfering in the leadership of the WFI by the wrestlers.” The WFI commenced operations, but wrestlers Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, respectively, and her spouse Satyawart petitioned the court to appoint an administrator to oversee the organization’s athletic activities.
In an interim order, the court stated that the IOC’s intention to dissolve the ad hoc committee contradicted the sports ministry’s suspension order. It stated that until the injunction was recalled, the ad-hoc committee was required to manage