The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) elections, originally slated for June 2023, have once again been postponed. On Friday, August 11, the Punjab and Haryana High Court intervened, putting a halt to the scheduled August 12 polls.
WFI, the apex body governing wrestling in India, has witnessed several setbacks, leading to multiple delays in its electoral process. These disruptions are attributed to protests from Indian wrestlers and legal challenges presented by different state units.
The next date of the hearing is set for 28 August.
Candidates had already filed their nominations for 15 crucial posts in the WFI governing body. Among the nominations, Sanjay Singh from UP, a close associate of the outgoing WFI chief, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, was in the race for the presidency. The nominations were announced with significant anticipation at the Olympic Bhawan earlier this week.
While Darshan Lal of the Chandigarh wrestling association aspired for the general secretary position, SP Deswal from Uttarakhand aimed for the treasurer post, aligning with the Brij Bhushan camp.
Troubles for WFI escalated when, earlier this year, India's elite wrestlers voiced their discontent over the federation's operations. Further compounding the situation were allegations against then-president Brij Bhushan of sexually harassing female wrestlers. Due to these controversies, WFI faced two suspensions - first in January and then in May. Presently, the day-to-day operations of WFI fall under an ad-hoc committee, formed by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and headed by Bhupender Singh Bajwa.
Highlighting the international repercussions, United World Wrestling, the global governing entity for the sport, cautioned WFI about potential suspension if election delays persisted.
Regarding representation, neither Maharashtra nor Tripura will have delegates at the elections. Maharashtra's factions were considered "ineligible" by the Returning Officer, whereas Tripura has been disaffiliated since 2016.
Initially, the IOA's ad-hoc panel scheduled the elections for July 6. Yet, following appeals from state bodies like Maharashtra, Haryana, Telangana, Rajasthan, and Himachal Pradesh - questioning the legitimacy of their disaffiliation - the date was moved to July 11. Even this date wasn't honored as the Gauhati High Court delayed the elections in response to the Assam Wrestling Association's plea for inclusion in the polling process.
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