The Aryavarth Express
Agency (New Delhi): The United World Wrestling (UWW), the global governing body for wrestling, has officially lifted the suspension on the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI). This suspension, which had been in effect since August 23 of the previous year due to the WFI’s failure to conduct timely elections, has now been removed with immediate effect.
The UWW Disciplinary Chamber initially imposed the provisional suspension based on the prolonged issues within the federation, which lasted for at least six months. However, a recent meeting of the UWW Bureau on February 9 to review the situation led to the decision to lift the suspension, subject to specific conditions.
Key among these conditions is the requirement for the WFI to reconvene the elections of its Athletes’ Commission. The guidelines for these elections are clear: candidates must be active athletes or those retired for no longer than four years, and the voters must exclusively be athletes. The WFI has been instructed to conduct these elections during trials or any senior national championships, ensuring completion by no later than July 1, 2024.
Furthermore, the WFI is obliged to provide UWW with written guarantees ensuring that all wrestlers will be considered for participation in WFI events, including trials for the Olympic Games and other major national and international events, without any discrimination. This includes fair consideration for the three athletes who previously protested against alleged misconduct by the former WFI President.
UWW has committed to remaining in close contact with the wrestlers and plans to follow up with them in the coming days to ensure compliance with these conditions.
The lifting of the suspension is a significant development for Indian wrestling. Under the suspension, Indian wrestlers were compelled to compete under the UWW flag in international events. Now, with the reinstatement of the WFI, Indian wrestlers can once again compete under their national flag, starting with the next UWW event. This move is expected to boost the morale of the athletes and restore normalcy in the administration of the sport in India.