IOA's ad-hoc committee for Wrestling issues disciplinary warning to disbanded WFI member for violation of rules

The Indian Olympic Association-appointed (IOA) ad-hoc committee has issued a disciplinary warning to a disbanded member of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) for illegally communicating with one of the state associations.

The United World Wrestling (UWW) suspended the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) for its failure to hold elections within a specific time period. Since then, the ad-hoc committee has been running the day-to-day affairs of wrestling in the country.

On Sunday, November 13, Bhupinder Singh Bajwa, a member of the IOA-appointed ad-hoc committee, issued a letter to disband WFI general secretary V N Prasood, as reported by news agency PTI.

Bajwa wrote in a letter to Prasood:

"It has come to our notice that, as the General Secretary of the Wrestling Federation of India, you have been in continued correspondence with the affiliated units of the WFI, contravening the IOA order.

"Disturbingly, it has been reported that today (Sunday), you issued a circular to the Maharashtra State Wrestling Association, an act deemed unconstitutional and in violation of established laws."

The ad-hoc committee member further warned that if the member again breaches the laws constituted by IOA, then disciplinary measures will be taken against him. The letter further added.

"The Ad-hoc Committee is dedicated to working collaboratively with all affiliated units to enhance the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI). However, it is imperative to emphasise that any actions taken in defiance of IOA directives may result in disciplinary measures against those who willingly participate in or persist with such illegal activities, ultimately working against the broader interests of wrestling in India,"

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Why WFI elections have been delayed?

The WFI elections were due to take place on July 11 this year. The Gauhati High Court stayed the elections after the Assam Wrestling Federation filed a petition that they should be allowed to participate in the election process.

The state association, which wasn't recognized by the WFI, demanded that it deserved to be an affiliation member of the national governing body and cast its voting rights. Apart from Assam, state bodies of Maharashtra, Haryana, Telangana, Rajasthan, and Himachal Pradesh also approached the ad-hoc committee that they were incorrectly disaffiliated by the WFI.

Furthermore, some state associations objected to ex-WFI chief Brij Bhushan Singh's family members being allowed to vote. Their claim was that the family members were illegally appointed to the state associations, as per a report from The Indian Express.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court extended the stay on WFI elections till September 25. This came after the Haryana Wrestling Association's petition for the removal of the representatives from a separate body - Haryana Amateur Wrestling Association - which is affiliated with the WFI.

There hasn't been any development on the matter, and the ad-hoc panel will continue to oversee the matters of Indian wrestling until a resolution is passed.