Ad hoc panel, not WFI, to oversee trials for selection of wrestling teams

CHENNAI: There is no end to the twists and turns in the functioning of wrestling in India right now. For more than a year, the sport and its administration has been mired in controversy after top wrestlers levelled charges of sexual harassment against the Wrestling Federation of India’s former president.

A day after the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) issued a circular on selection guidelines, the Delhi High Court stepped in and said the ad hoc committee would select the teams for the Asian Wrestling Championships and the World Olympic qualifiers to be held in Bishkek, Kazakhstan, in April. Rahul Mehra represented the top wrestlers — Olympic medallist Bajrang Punia and World Championships medallist Vinesh Phogat against the WFI.

The WFI had been derecognised by the sports ministry days after its election. However, things got complicated after United World Wrestling, the world governing body of the sport, gave recognition to the newly-elected members. The WFI on Thursday told the court that it was willing to withdraw the circular on conducting selection trials. According to rules, the entries for all UWW events are supposed to be sent by the WFI. And the UWW had already said they recognise only one body in India and that is the WFI. It remains to be seen what happens next.