CHENNAI: First came the warning. It was on May 30 this year that the United World Wrestling (UWW) issued a statement on the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI). The statement condemned the treatment and detention of wrestlers who were protesting against WFI President Brij Bhushan Singh demanding his resignation for sexually harassing female wrestlers. The statement also emphasised the fact that the 45-day deadline to hold the elective assembly shall be respected.
Next came the warning from the world governing body to the ad-hoc committee on July 3 on possible suspension if the election is not held in due course of time.
The warning, however, seemed to have fallen on deaf ears as the election, which already was stalled multiple times, was stayed again on August 11, a day before it was scheduled, by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Literally, having left with no option, the UWW on Wednesday night provisionally suspended the WFI with immediate effect until further notice.
"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," the UWW said on its official website.
The suspension though will not debar the Indian wrestlers and their support staff from taking part in the UWW-sanctioned event but it will certainly force them to compete under the UWW flag. If the situation remains the same, the wrestlers will not compete under the Indian flag at the World Championships scheduled in Belgrade, Serbia from September 16 to 24. The Worlds is also the first qualifier for the 2024 Paris Olympics. It also means Indian referees will not be able to be part of the events sanctioned by the UWW.
"This is beyond my comprehension as to how can the ad-hoc panel ignore such a stern warning. It clearly meant the UWW would take the extreme step of suspending the federation if the elections were not held. The UWW still waited for almost 50 days before announcing the suspension. This could have been avoided if the panel along with other stakeholders focussed on holding elections rather than playing politics," one of the former office-bearers of the WFI told this daily.
While the UWW didn't reply to an e-mail sent to it by this daily enquiring more about the suspension, the ad-hoc body also preferred to stay mum on the issue. Bhupender Singh Bajwa, one of the two members of the committee, to whom the suspension and earlier letters were addressed, did not respond to call and messages.
As far as participation in the Asian Games, which is scheduled in Hangzhou, China from September 23 to October 8, sources said the wrestlers should not have any issues as the entries have been sent to the organisers by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and not the WFI. The Olympic Council of Asia, however, in a letter to the National Olympic Committees, had said that organising committee would accept entries from National Sports Federations that are recognised by International Federations and Asian bodies.
Worlds trials on
Even as the suspension jolted the wrestling fraternity, the ad-hoc body announced that the selection trials to pick the national team for the Worlds would go as planned. Earlier, the panel announced that the trials would be held on August 25 and 26 in Patiala. The first day will see competitions in the women's wrestling and men's Greco-Roman while the second and final will witness trials in the men's freestyle. Notably, a few wrestlers including Bajrang Punia and Deepak Punia had already decided to skip the trials to focus on the Asian Games. It needs to be seen if the world body would accept entries of wrestlers who have been picked by a defunct committee.
Hearing on Monday?
Meanwhile, sources told this daily that a writ petition filed by the WFI against the stay order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court could be heard on Monday. "The petition has been listed and is expected to be heard on Monday. We are confident that the stay will be vacated as was done previously when the Gauhati High Court order was put aside," said an insider in the know of things.
Bajrang attends mahapanchayat
Earlier in the day, Bajrang attended the mahapanchayat held in Jind, Haryana on a request from Vishal Kaliraman and his family on Thursday morning. It was Vishal who won the Asian Games selection trials in the 65kg weight category but Bajrang was given direct entry for the quadrennial event. Bajrang reportedly assured the khap heads that he would withdraw from the Asian Games if all of them ask him to do so.