CHENNAI: Greco-Roman wrestler Sanjeev, who represented India at the 2024 World Championships held in Tirana, Albania, has been suspended by the Wrestling Federation of India for alleged domicile and identify discrepancy on Thursday. The wrestler won his first bout in the 55kg weight category before losing the next to bow out of the Worlds held from October 28 to 31 in non-Olympic weight categories.
What raised the suspicion is the fact that the wrestler in question procured his birth certificate from Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Rohini Sector on August 9, 2022, almost 22 years after his recorded date of birth. Within 20 days, a Haryana Resident Certificate was issued to him on September 1, 2022.
It did not stop there as the Regional Passport Office, Delhi allegedly issued the grappler a passport on June 20, 2023, which must have been used for the Albania visit for the Worlds. In the passport, Delhi has been mentioned as the place of birth with the same address as stated in the MCD's birth certificate. However, as per the records of the Citizen Resource Information Department vide Family ID dated Aug 30, 2022, Sanjeev is reflected as a resident of Jind, Haryana.
"Upon examination of the documents submitted by the wrestlers, the WFI has found these discrepancies. Given these discrepancies, the federation is unable to ascertain the domicile of the wrestler," a WFI source told this daily. The WFI has forwarded the documents to the competent authorities for verification and necessary action, added the source.
The federation has also issued a notice signed by president Sanjay Kumar Singh. "Pending the outcome of the verification, the wrestler is suspended from all wrestling related activities under the purview of the WFI, with immediate effect. Order shall remain in force until further notice," read the notice.