World wrestling body suspends WFI in massive blow for India after failure to conduct elections
World wrestling body suspends WFI in massive blow for India after failure to conduct elections
United World Wrestling (UWW), the apex administrative body of world wrestling, officially suspended the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) on Thursday, August 24. The news comes after the WFI failed to conduct elections in time, with a few wrestlers in hot water with the former chief and sitting Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) Member of Parliament Brij Bhushan Singh Sharan. The suspension will start with immediate effect and is likely to last until a new body is elected.
WFI pays the price
The WFI elections supposed to be held in June were postponed by the ongoing wrestler's protest while several petitions from the various state units also contributed to the delay in proceedings. The controversies surrounding the administration of outgoing WFI Chief Brij Bhushan Singh became the centre of wrestlers’ agitation from the start of the year. Top Indian wrestlers like Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, and Vinesh Phogatmade sexual harassment allegations against the WFI chief and protested over a period from January to June.
The WFI elections wereput on hold in Juneafter several top state bodiesincludingGauhati High Court stayed the process. The elections were then scheduled to be held on Saturday, August 12, but the Punjab & Haryana High Court this time stayed the elections after a plea raisingquestions over the electoral college for the election was filed, wherein the right of Haryana Amateur Wrestling Association to cast vote is under challenge.
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On Monday, August 21, four candidates, including Sanjay Singh from Uttar Pradesh, filed nominations for the post of president at the Olympic Bhawan in New Delhi. Singh is a close aide of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and is opposed by the top brass of wrestlers. The Brij Bhushan camp has been active in the build-up to the elections and has already nominated Darshan Lal of the Chandigarh wrestling body for the position of general secretary. SP Deswal of Uttarakhand was also nominated for the treasurer post by the same camp.
This is not the first time thatWFI has faced suspension as they were exiled in January by the UWW followed by another suspension in May after the row between the administration and the wrestlers intensified in the nation’s capital Delhi. The wrestlers were also seen protesting in Haridwar in Uttarakhand (approx. 213 km North East of the national capital Delhi) while another protest followed during the inauguration of the new parliament building in May.
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