The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has withdrawn the Indian team from the upcoming World Championship on Wednesday, citing interference from the sports ministry as the reason for this decision. The championship, which includes 12 non-Olympic categories, is set to take place in Tirana, Albania, from October 28.
Recently, the WFI had announced trials for both the U23 and World Championship teams, but the trials were challenged by protesting wrestlers, claiming that the suspended federation had no legal authority to conduct them. In response, the WFI withdrew the trial notice, and on October 4, the court decided not to proceed with the contempt petition filed by wrestler Satyawart Kadian, husband of wrestler Sakshi Malik.
A WFI source expressed frustration, blaming the Ministry for suspension of the WFI, the situation stating that the wrestlers are being impacted because of few individuals and the ministry’s declination to lift the suspension. The WFI was suspended by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) on December 24, 2023, after elections were held to select new officials.
The WFI’s president Sanjay Singh addressed a letter to United World Wrestling (UWW) President Nenad Lalovic, accusing the MYAS of interfering with the federation’s autonomy by ordering the suspension and calling for an ad-hoc committee to manage the WFI. The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) had dissolved the ad-hoc committee in March after the WFI’s suspension was lifted in February, with IOA President PT Usha supporting the WFI in the case.
However, wrestlers Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, and her husband Satyawart sought a court order to appoint an administrator to manage the WFI. The court issued an interim order stating that the ad-hoc committee must proceed managing the federation’s affairs until the suspension is lifted, though the IOA has said it cannot reinstate the committee.
The WFI has now requested UWW to invoke Article 6.3 of UWW regulations, which emphasises that National Federations must govern independently without political interference, and has asked for appropriate action. In an Olympic year, World Championships feature four categories in each of the three styles men’s freestyle, women’s, and Greco-Roman rather than all 10 categories.
The Indian teams that were scheduled to participate are as follows: Men’s freestyle: Udit (61kg), Manish Goswami (70kg), Parvinder Singh (79kg), Sandeep Mann (92kg). Greco-Roman: Sanjeev (55kg), Chetan (63kg), Ankit Gulia (72kg), Rohit Dahiya (82kg). Women: Kirti (55kg), Mansi (59kg), Manisha (65kg), Bipasha (72kg).
This bout between Wrestlers and The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) started in January 2023, when around 30 Indian wrestlers, including Olympic medalists, Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, Anshu Malik, Bajrang Punia, among others, staged a sit-in at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi accusing the federation’s former president, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and its coaches of sexually harassing female wrestlers for years.
