CHENNAI: In a big respite for the country's wrestlers, sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya met the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president Sanjay Kumar Singh on Sunday. It is understood that the meeting was aimed at ensuring Indian wrestlers' participation at the upcoming Seniors Asian Championships scheduled in Amman, Jordan from March 25 to 30. This could also help in finding a solution to resolve the ongoing standoff between the sports ministry and WFI.
Notably, the ministry had suspended the WFI in December 2023 days after its polls wherein Sanjay Kumar was elected as the federation chief. Given the suspension, the ministry had not sanctioned WFI's proposals for sending the national teams for the two Ranking Series held earlier this month. However, if the Indian wrestlers miss the continental championships then as per the rule of the United World Wrestling, they will not qualify to compete at the World Championships slated from September 13 to 21 in Zagreb, Croatia. "The meeting lasted for around an hour and issues like the WFI's suspension and participation of the Indian wrestlers at the Asian Championships were discussed," said highly-placed sources.
With the meeting, chances of Indian wrestlers participating at the Asian meet have grown manifold as the sports ministry doesn't want them to miss the tournament. The last date to submit entries is February 25. To ensure participation, only WFI, which is recognised by the UWW, can send entries. It is learnt that the WFI has to tweak the already named squad for the two Ranking Series. Wrestlers, who did not feature in the squad, might still have a chance as some more names can be accommodated. Their inclusion, however, means some kind of a mechanism needs to be in place to select a wrestler for each weight category.
For that to happen, the WFI's suspension needs to be lifted because as per an order by the Delhi High Court, the WFI cannot organise selection trials and if it does so then it will amount to contempt of court. Incidentally, a hearing in that regard is scheduled on March 3 while another petition, wherein the WFI has challenged the suspension in a division bench, will be heard the next day.
As an expert explained, "It can be touch and go as provisional entries can be sent by the deadline but changes, if any after the selection trials, have to be done 10 or 15 days before the event begins. Such changes can be made on medical grounds. The WFI can only hold selection trials once the suspension is lifted otherwise the same set of wrestlers, who were picked up for the two Ranking Series, will be eligible to compete."
After the Sports Authority of India didn't sanction its proposal for the second Ranking Series, the WFI had made clear that it will not send Asian meet's proposal for clearance. Sanjay Singh while speaking to this daily had said that the federation will not seek SAI's sanction and arrange funds for the trip. However, the recent development will give some hope to wrestlers, who even tried meeting the sports minister once they realised that they wouldn't be competing at the second Ranking Series in Tirana, Albania.
They might not have got a chance to meet Mandaviya personally and share their grievances but the meeting on Sunday has made them optimistic. "We really hope the talks succeed as we cannot afford to miss the Asian tournament. If allowed, the Asian Championships will be our first international event this year and also a gateway for the Worlds," one of the aggrieved wrestlers told this daily.
