WFI bars U-17 wrestler over dual birth certificates

The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has barred an under-17 wrestler from competing on the opening day of the National Championships in Sambhaji Nagar after her father produced two birth certificates from different states, exposing glaring gaps in document verification by the administration.

The wrestler (name withheld), who sought to participate in the women’s 57kg category for Madhya Pradesh, was stopped during scrutiny after officials found discrepancies in her birth records.

According to documents accessed by PTI, one birth certificate issued by authorities in Madhya Pradesh lists the date of birth as August 26, 2010, but shows the date of registration and issue as November 16, 2021: more than a decade after the birth.

The certificate mentions a Sheopur district address and was generated through a gram panchayat office.

When questioned about the delayed registration, the father produced another birth certificate from Rajasthan, according to a WFI source. That document, also seen by PTI, records the same date of birth — August 26, 2010 — but shows registration dating back to September 1, 2010, in Sriganganagar, Rajasthan, with the place of birth listed as a private nursing home there.

However, this certificate itself was issued much later, in April 2025.

The father maintained that there was no manipulation of the date of birth and said a fresh certificate had been obtained from Madhya Pradesh after the family relocated, to enable the wrestler to represent the state.

WFI officials, however, refused entry, questioning how a second certificate could be issued by another state without robust cross-verification of original records.

“It raises serious concerns. We are expected to ensure strict compliance on age eligibility, but how are such certificates being issued without proper checks?” a WFI official said.

“If there is duplication across states, it undermines the entire system.”

The federation also pointed to a broader pattern it has flagged in recent months, where several wrestlers from Haryana were allegedly found to have procured birth certificates from Delhi’s Rohini and Narela districts, prompting calls for tighter administrative oversight.

“The government has pushed sports bodies to act firmly against age fraud in age-group competitions, there must also be accountability among civil authorities responsible for issuing birth certificates,” said the WFI official.

The WFI has urged stronger coordination between states and stricter verification mechanisms at the point of document issuance.