Page 3 - Wrestling Federation Of India

We do not consider Ad-hoc committee: Suspended WFI President Sanjay Singh

In defiance, Singh refused to acknowledge the committee, stating that they are an "autonomous body" and cannot be banned

Sports ministry says it won't recognise events organised by suspended WFI

The Sports Ministry on Sunday said the suspended Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has no authority to conduct the Senior National Championships and any event staged by the body will be considered "unsanctioned" and "unrecognised". Three days after the WFI held its polls last month, the Ministry had suspended the sports body citing several violations of rules and then the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) formed a three-member ad-hoc panel to manage the federation's day-to-day affairs. However, a defiant Sanjay Singh, President of the suspended WFI, said that they will soon organise the national championships and insisted that they neither recognise the suspension of the newly-elected body nor the ad-hoc panel. "It has come to the notice of the Ministry that you have issued a Circular bearing No. WFI/Senior National/Maharashtra/2024 dated 06.01.2024 on the letterhead of the Wrestling Federation of India regarding conduct of Senior National Wrestling Championship 2023 at Pune ...

Delhi Police starts afresh argument in charges against WFI ex-chief

The Delhi Police on Thursday started afresh its argument on whether to frame charges against former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh before a local court in an alleged sexual harassment case lodged against him by women wrestlers. The police made the submissions before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Priyanka Rajpoot, who recently started hearing the matter after the judge trying the case earlier was transferred. During the arguments, the police told the court that there is sufficient "prima facie" evidence to put Singh and co-accused Vinod Tomar, the former assistant secretary of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), on trial. The judge also granted an exemption from personal appearance to Singh, also a BJP MP, for the day on an application moved by his lawyer. "Counsel for the accused persons has moved an application seeking exemption on behalf of accused Brij Bhushan Sharan. Heard. Perused. In view of averments made in the application, accused Brij Bhushan Sharan i

WFI to challenge its suspension next week, calls EC meeting on Jan 16

A defiant Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) will challenge its suspension by the Sports Ministry in court next week and has also called for an Executive Committee meeting here on January 16 to discuss the way forward. Citing violation of the National Sports Code and the WFI constitution, the government had suspended the newly-elected body on December 24, three days after the Federation conducted its election. The WFI has maintained that it neither accepts the suspension nor does it recognise the ad-hoc panel that has been constituted by the IOA to manage the day-to-day affairs of the sport. "We need a properly functioning Federation. We are taking the matter to the court next week. This suspension is not acceptable to us because we were elected democratically. We have also called the Executive Committee meeting on January 16," WFI President Sanjay Singh told PTI. Singh, who hails from Varanasi, reasoned how the ad-hoc panel was not equipped to deliver in crunch time. "You have s

Post junior wrestlers' protest, ad-hoc panel announces U-15, U-20 Nationals

The ad-hoc panel, managing wrestling affairs in the country, on Wednesday announced organisation of U15 and U20 National championships within six weeks, hours after junior wrestlers held a protest at Jantar Mantar and demanded dissolution of the IOA-constituted committee. The panel "acknowledged the concerns" of the young wrestlers who have been hit hard by the year-long protests by top India grapplers. Wrestling activities in the country have been hit hard following protests by the country's top three grapplers -- Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat -- against former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. Neither the National camps nor the junior nationals have been held since January 2023. Hundreds of junior wrestlers lost one full year due to the stalemate. Bhupender Singh Bajwa, chairman of the three-member panel, assured the junior wrestlers that he would soon organise the sub junior and junior Nationals in Gwalior. "The (ad-hoc) committee acknowledges the concerns r

Hundreds of junior wrestlers protest against Bajrang, Sakshi and Vinesh

The ongoing crisis in Indian wrestling took a fresh twist on Wednesday when hundreds of junior wrestlers assembled at Jantar Mantar here to protest against the loss of one crucial year of their careers, a situation for which they blamed top grapplers Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat. Loaded in buses, the junior wrestlers arrived from different parts of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi, catching the police unaware. Close to 300 of them came from Arya Samaj Akhara in Chhaprauli, Baghpat while many others came from the Virender Wrestling Academy in Narela. Many are still packed in buses and they plan to deboard and join their colleagues when more wrestlers arrive at the landmark protest site. The security personnel struggled to control them as they shouted slogans against Punia, Malik and Phogat. The protesters were carrying banners that read: 'UWW save our wrestling from these 3 wrestlers'. Ironically, almost a year back at the same protest site, the top three wrestlers

Wrestlers seek UWW intervention in resolving wrestling crisis in India

Several international medal-winning wrestlers from different states have approached the world governing body UWW, requesting its intervention for restoration of the suspended WFI and accused Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik of orchestrating a "fake agitation". The three wrestlers had led a protest against former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, alleging that he has sexually exploited women wrestlers and sought his arrest. The matter is being heard by a Delhi court and Brij Bhushan is out on bail. The National camps have not been held for a long time due to the ongoing tussle between the elite wrestlers and the BJP MP. An ad-hoc panel ran the sport till recently but was brought back to handle day-to-day affairs of the sports body after the newly-elected body was suspended by the Sports Ministry. "I would like to inform you that due to fake agitation of three wrestlers, the wrestling in India has been destroyed. I am a woman wrestler but I did not face any sexual dem

Wrestling: Bajrang Punia, Antim Panghal and 3 others opt out of Zagreb Open

India will go unrepresented in five categories at the upcoming Zagreb Open in Croatia as Bajrang Punia, Antim Panghal and three others didn't give consent for their selection to the ad-hoc panel that announced a 13-member team on Tuesday. Senior Worlds bronze medallist Panghal made herself unavailable as she wants to attend the national sports award ceremony where she will be conferred with the prestigious Arjuna award, while Olympic bronze medallist Bajrang, who had returned empty handed from the Asian Games, also decided to give it a miss. Bajrang, one of the prominent faces of the wrestlers' protest against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, was the only one missing in men's freestyle as the ad-hoc panel picked Aman Sehrawat (57kg), Yash (74kg), Deepak Punia (86kg), Vicky (97kg) and Sumit Malik (125kg) -- all who had participated at the Hangzhou Asian Games. "We had sought the consent of the wrestlers who were part of the Asian Games squad and only 13 gave their consent while five others

Do not recognise ad-hoc panel and ministry suspension: WFI's Sanjay Singh

Indian wrestling teetered on the edge of a deeper crisis with Sanjay Singh, President of the suspended WFI, on Monday declaring that they will soon organise the national championships and insisting that they neither recognise the suspension of their newly-elected body by Sports Ministry nor the ad-hoc panel. Three days after the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) held its polls, the ministry suspended the sports body citing several violations of rules on December 24. On the request of the government, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) then formed a three-member panel, headed by Bhupender Singh Bajwa, to manage the day-to-day affairs of the body. The other members of the committee are former hockey player M M Somaya and ex-shuttler Manjusha Kanwar. The ad-hoc panel announced that it will host the senior national championships in Jaipur from February 2-5. Sanjay, though, remained combative and said they will not co-operate with the ad-hoc panel and will organise the Nationals. "

Senior national wrestling camps to commence in Patiala, Sonepat from Feb 9

The national wrestling camps for men and women will commence in Sonepat and Patiala respectively from February 9, according to the IOA-constituted ad-hoc committee for the sport here on Monday. With the Asian Olympics Qualifying and World Qualifying tournaments around the corner, the camps will begin almost immediately after the conclusion of the senior National Championships in Jaipur on February 5. The ad-hoc panel, headed by Wushu Association of India chief Bhupender Singh Bajwa with former hockey player MM Somaya and ex-shuttler Manjusha Kanwar being the other members, is taking all the crucial decisions after the newly-elected Sanjay Singh-led Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) was suspended by the Sports Ministry within three days of the polls. "Following the conclusion of the Senior National Championships, the National Coaching Camp (NCC) will be conducted. The men's camp (Greco-Roman and free-style) will be stationed at SAI NRC Sonepat, while the women's camp will be held

Sports min unlikely to go back on decision to dismiss Singh-led WFI body

As per sources, Sanjay Singh is unlikely to be reinstated as president even if he agrees to follow the protocols set by the ministry

2023 Wrestlers' Protest: Elite athletes' revolt against system's harassment

From February 2023 to December 2023, three top Indian wrestlers Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phoigat brought the system down to its with their fight against systematic harassment

Wrestling Nationals in Jaipur from February 2-5, says WFI ad-hoc panel

The senior national championships for wrestling will be held from February 2 to 5 in Jaipur, the ad-hoc committee governing the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) said on Saturday. Competitions will be held for top honours in senior free style, Greco Roman and the women's section, the Bhupinder Singh Bajwa-led committee said in a press release. The release also stated that "all correspondence should be done with ad-hoc panel", making it clear that no stakeholder should be in touch with members of the suspended federation. The tournament will be organised by Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB) at Railway Stadium in Ganpati Nagar. Earlier, a three-member ad-hoc committee was formed by the Indian Olympic Association to oversee the WFI after the newly-elected body was suspended by the sports ministry for violating its own constitution. Last Sunday, the wrestling body was suspended for not making decisions in accordance with the provisions of its constitution. In order to manage th

Watch video: Wrestler Vinesh Phogat returns Khel Ratna, Arjuna awards

Multiple World Championship medallist Vinesh Phogat on Saturday returned her Khel Ratna and Arjuna Award, keeping the two awards lying in the middle of national capital's Kartavya Path after Delhi Police stopped her from reaching the prime minister's office. On Tuesday, the Asian Games gold medallist grappler had decided to return her Khel Ratna and Arjuna Award to the government, saying such honours have become meaningless at a time when wrestlers are struggling to get justice. Phogat had announced her decision in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. On Saturday, she attempted to reach the prime minister's office to return her awards but the police prevented her from reaching the PMO. As a mark of protest, she left the awards at the Kartavya Path and they were later picked up by Delhi Police. Phogat, along with Olympic medallists Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia, had protested against the election of Sanjay Singh, a close aide of former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) ...

Wrestling Federation of India office moved out of Brij Bhushan's residence

The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) on Friday moved its office out of the residence of its former president and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, after the sports ministry had recently raised serious objections to it. "The WFI will operate from a new address in New Delhi after vacating Brij Bhushan's premises," a source told PTI on condition of anonymity. The new WFI office is located in the Hari Nagar area of New Delhi. The ministry, while suspending the newly-formed WFI panel under president Sanjay Singh on December 24, three days after he was elected its head, had cited the office running from Brij Bhushan's residence as one of the reasons for taking the stringent action. "The business of the federation is being run from the premises controlled by former office bearers (Brij Bhushan) -- which is also the alleged premises wherein sexual harassment of the players have been alleged and present(ly) the court is hearing the matter," the ministry had said in its letter. The minis

Sanjay Singh to challenge WFI suspension as govt 'didn't follow procedure'

Newly-elected WFI president Sanjay Singh on Thursday said that the sports ministry did not follow "proper procedure" while suspending the wrestling national body and will challenge the government's decision in a court. The sports ministry on Sunday suspended the WFI, three days after its elections were held, for flouting its own constitution while taking certain decisions, including the announcement of U-15 and U-20 National Championships. Sanjay, however, said that his "autonomous" and "democratically elected" body could not have been suspended by the government without hearing the WFI's side of the story. "We have won the elections (of WFI) democratically. The returning officer was the retired chief justice of J&K High Court, there were observers from the IOA and UWW (United World Wrestling). There were 22 state units (three absent out of 25 state associations) taking part in the elections, 47 votes were polled out of which I got 40," Sanjay told PTI. "After all these, if you ...

IOA forms ad hoc committee to run wrestling in India after WFI's suspension

The WFI was suspended by the sports ministry after its controversial decision to announce U-15 and U-20 national championships in tainted former chief Brijbhushana Sharan Singh's constituency Gonda

Wrestler Vinesh Phogat to return Khel Ratna, Arjuna Award in protest

Vinesh Phogat took to X where she uploaded an open letter to the PM Modi, saying that she will return national awards won by her, including the Khel Ratna

Grappling with politicians

Govt move to suspend WFI is timely

WFI not suspended, Centre spreading false news, alleges Priyanka Gandhi

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra accused the Centre on Monday of spreading "false news" about dissolving the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and alleged that its activities have been stopped to spread confusion and shelter a BJP MP who has been accused of sexual harassment by female wrestlers. She also alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) always protects the accused with all its might and tortures the victims whenever incidents of atrocities on women come to light. "The BJP is spreading false news about dissolving the wrestling federation. The federation has not been dissolved, its activities have been stopped so that the accused can be saved by spreading confusion. Do they have to stoop to this level to suppress the voice of aggrieved women?" the Congress general secretary asked in a post in Hindi on X. "The well-known players who made the country proud accused a BJP MP of sexual harassment and the government stood with the accused. The victims were tortured and t