World body suspends WFI for poll delay

NT Correspondent

New Delhi: UWW, the world governing body for wrestling, has suspended the WFI for not conducting its elections on time, a development which will not allow Indian grapplers to compete at the upcoming World Championships under the Indian flag.

The Indian wrestlers will have to compete as 'neutral athletes' at the Olympic-qualifying World Championships, starting September 16 as the ad-hoc panel, led by Bhupender Singh Bajwa, did not honour the 45- day deadline for conducting the elections.

The development comes a day before the ad-hoc panel conducts the World Championships trials in Patiala.

The IOA had appointed the adhoc panel on April 27 and the committee was supposed to hold elections within 45 days. UWW had on April 28 warned it could suspend the Indian federation if the deadline is not met.

'SHAME ON BJP GOVT'

Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra on Thursday hit out at the BJP-led central government and alleged that ministry of youth affairs and sports allowed a “sexual predator to bring sport to its knees.”

The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has been in the eye of the storm after its outgoing chief, a BJP MP, faced sexual harassment allegations from some of India's top wrestlers.

The WFI was to hold elections on May 7 but the Sports Ministry declared the process null and void and subsequently, IOA installed an ad-hoc panel to run the sport in the country.

The elections have been delayed several times after that with multiple disgruntled and disaffiliated state bodies moving the court, seeking the right to participate in the polls.

“Wrestling Federation of India suspended by world wrestling body over failure to conduct elections. Hence Indian wrestlers will not be allowed to compete under our flag,” Moitra said in a post on X.