United World Wrestling body suspends Wrestling Federation of India over delay in polls

CORSIER-SUR-VEVEY (Switzerland): The United World Wrestling (UWW) has suspended the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) with immediate effect in the wake of the delay in holding elections, sources said

Sources said that the United World Wrestling took the decision as WFI ‘failed to conduct elections’ in the specified duration. The election was originally slated to be held on August 12.  However, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has stayed the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) elections till August 28.

The stay order came in the wake of a petition filed by the Haryana Wrestling Association (HWA), which challenged the move to allow the Haryana Amateur Wrestling Association to cast votes in the WFI polls. The WFI’s elections have been delayed due to controversies surrounding WFI.

Elections for the federation, which oversees wrestling in India, were initially planned for June this year. However, demonstrations by Indian wrestlers over sexual allegations against the then WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and legal lawsuits from several state units led to the postponement of polls. An ad-hoc committee set up by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) is running the affairs of WFI at present.

Amid the protest by wrestlers over their sexual harassment allegations, UWW had warned in May that if elections to the Wrestling Federation of India are not held within the specified duration, it may suspend the federation. (ANI)