The euphoria surrounding the Wrestling Federation of India’s (WFI) recent elections was short-lived, as the Union Sports Ministry threw a spanner in the works by suspending the newly-elected body on Sunday. This swift action came after the new president, Sanjay Singh, announced plans for U-15 and U-20 national championships in Nandini Nagar, Gonda (UP) before the year’s end.
Singh, a loyalist of the WFI’s former president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, had secured a resounding victory in the December 21 elections. However, his enthusiasm for immediate action appears to have backfired.
According to a Sports Ministry official, “The new body has not followed the WFI constitution. We have not terminated the Federation but suspended it till further orders. They just need to follow the due process and the rules.”
The hasty announcement of the national championships without proper notice to wrestlers and adherence to the WFI constitution was cited as the key reason for the suspension. The ministry pointed out that Clause 3(e) of the WFI constitution mandates national championships be held “as per UWW Rules at places selected by the Executive Committee.”
Sanjay Singh’s swift decisions haven’t just ruffled feathers within the ministry, but also raise questions about the new leadership’s understanding of protocol and procedure. This unexpected suspension throws a cloud of uncertainty over the future of wrestling in India. The new body now faces the immediate task of addressing the ministry’s concerns and complying with the established norms to get their suspension lifted and start charting a sustainable course for Indian wrestling.
This new development leaves several unanswered questions: Will the U-15 and U-20 nationals go ahead as planned? How will the suspension impact other planned activities of the WFI? Can the new leadership navigate these choppy waters and regain the trust of the ministry and the wrestling community? The coming days will be crucial as answers to these questions unfold, determining the path ahead for Indian wrestling.
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