Sports Ministry suspends newly-elected Wrestling Federation of India

Union Sports Ministry suspended the newly elected body of the Wrestling Federation of India after the newly elected president Sanjay Singh announced U-15 and U-20 nationals to take place in Nandini Nagar, Gonda (UP) before the end of this year.

The WFI elections were held on December 21 with former president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh’s loyalist, Sanjay Singh, and his panel winning the polls by big margins.

Singh, the UP Wrestling Association vice-president hailing from Varanasi, secured 40 votes as against seven of his rival and 2010 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Anita Sheoran.

“It’s a triumph for thousands of wrestlers in the country who suffered in the past 7-8 months,” Sanjay Singh told media persons after his huge win.

“We will respond to politics with politics and wrestling with wrestling,” Sanjay replied when asked about politics being played within the federation.

Speaking to PTI, a sports ministry official said, “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 source further explained the reasons for the suspension.

“Sanjay Kumar Singh, newly-elected president of WFI announced on 21.12.2023, the day he was elected as president, that U-15 and U-20 nationals for Wrestling will take place in Nandini Nagar, Gonda (UP) before the end of this year.

“This announcement is hasty, without giving sufficient notice to wrestlers who are to take part in the said nationals and without following the provisions of the constitution of WFI, as per PTI reports.

“As per clause 3 (e) of the preamble of the constitution of WFI, the object of the WFI, among others, is to arrange holding of Senior, Junior, and Sub Junior National Championships as per UWW Rules at places selected by the Executive Committee,” said the ministry’s source.

(With PTI inputs)