The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has lifted its suspension of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI). Shortly thereafter, on Tuesday, the Delhi High Court dismissed WFI’s petition challenging the single judge’s ruling that reinstated the authority of the ad hoc committee. This development facilitates India’s participation in international competitions, beginning with the Asian Championships scheduled for this month.

This decision not only enables India to engage in international events but also permits the WFI to organize national training camps after a hiatus of two years. Furthermore, the WFI is now authorized to conduct selection trials and send teams for international competitions across all tournaments. Following the court's ruling, the WFI announced that the trials for the Asian Championships will take place on March 15 in New Delhi.

In its order on Tuesday, the ministry noted that the ongoing governance void was adversely impacting the training and competitive exposure of wrestlers, potentially jeopardizing India’s chances of winning medals at the 2026 Asian Games and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

During the court proceedings, the ministry, represented by senior advocate Jayant Mehta, informed the Delhi High Court of the suspension's revocation on Monday. The WFI, represented by advocate Hemant Phalpher, indicated that there were no remaining issues in its appeal following the revocation.

The bench, comprising Chief Justice DK Upadhyay and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, stated that the protesting wrestlers, Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat, retain the right to contest the ministry’s order, as the current proceedings were limited to the August 16 ruling regarding the ad hoc committee’s authority.

Punia and Phogat, represented by senior advocate Rahul Mehra and advocate Chaitaniya Gosain, contested the Centre's decision, arguing that it failed to address the Wrestling Federation of India's (WFI) adherence to the sports code and did not provide details regarding the composition of the spot verification team. Mehra noted that the report from the spot inspection, which served as the foundation for the revocation, was not made available to them.

The senior counsel further stated that although the WFI had previously claimed that the August 16 order prohibited Indian wrestlers from participating in at least six events—since the United World Wrestling (UWW) only recognized teams sent by affiliated bodies—this assertion was inaccurate. Mehra also pointed out that the administration of the suspended WFI had, in September of the previous year, selected a team to represent India at a championship in Albania, which received approval from the Centre.

Union sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya informed reporters on Monday that, in accordance with the high court's directives, the ministry opted to lift the suspension to allow Indian wrestlers to compete in the Asian and World Championships. He emphasized that had the suspension not been lifted, the wrestlers would have been unable to participate in the World Championships, which would have constituted a significant injustice to them.

We express our profound disappointment regarding the ministry's decision, although the rationale is not difficult to discern. Instead of maintaining a neutral stance, the ministry has consistently aligned itself with the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and Brij Bhushan. The recent order serves as evidence that Brij Bhushan's influence remains firmly established. Our situation remains unchanged. We have been engaged in this seemingly fruitless struggle for the sake of our principles. Concerning the issue of not being able to send teams to international competitions, it is noteworthy that the ministry approved the team for the Junior World Championships but refrained from granting approval for the teams participating in the Ranking Series. The reason for this inconsistency eludes us. We are perplexed by the government's continued support for Brij Bhushan. They had the option to establish an ad hoc committee to facilitate trials for the Asian Championships, yet they opted merely to lift the suspension, which is quite disheartening, Bajrang remarked to HT on Tuesday.

The suspension

The suspension of the WFI, under the presidency of Sanjay Singh, occurred on December 24, 2023, immediately following its ascension to power amidst a contentious backdrop of protests by wrestlers against former president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. The ministry cited "lapses regarding governance and procedural integrity" by the newly elected body, which appeared to be under the influence of former office-bearers, in blatant disregard of the sports code provisions.

On March 18, 2024, the Indian Olympic Association disbanded its ad hoc committee overseeing the WFI after the world governing body, United World Wrestling, lifted its ban on the national federation. Nevertheless, the governance of wrestling remained in turmoil. On August 16, the Delhi High Court, responding to a petition from protesting wrestlers, issued an order to reinstate the ad hoc committee to manage the sport, following the sports ministry's suspension of the national body.

The suspended Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has been unable to organize national competitions or conduct selection trials necessary for sending teams to international events. As a result, Indian wrestlers have missed two significant international ranking series this year, and their participation in the Asian Championships was also jeopardized. Last week, the high court raised concerns regarding the absence of a competent authority to oversee the trials and team selections for international competitions. In response, the sports ministry informed the court that it is currently reviewing its decision to suspend the WFI.

Reforms in place

In terms of reforms, the sports ministry indicated that it requested a report from the WFI on January 7 regarding the "corrective measures" implemented to address the issues raised.

In its response, the WFI outlined several initiatives taken, including the establishment of an Athletes Commission with voting rights, an Ethics Commission, and the formation of a Sexual Harassment Committee and Internal Complaint Committee (ICC) that are active at all WFI competitions and events, continuously gathering feedback from athletes concerning their safety and well-being.

Nevertheless, the ministry emphasized that the WFI must revert any amendments made during the suspension period, ensure a balance of power among the designated office-bearers, and implement checks and balances in the decision-making process. The WFI has been instructed to complete this task within one month.

The general body of the WFI has authorized President Singh to assume some responsibilities of Secretary Prem Chand Lochab, who was appointed with the backing of the protesting wrestlers but has opted to refrain from attending WFI meetings during the federation's suspension.

A WFI official stated, "We will convene a meeting to determine the next steps," when asked about the four-week deadline to revert the amendments made during the suspension period.

Additionally, the ministry asserted that any individual not elected as an office-bearer, as well as any suspended or terminated salaried officials of the WFI, must remain entirely disassociated from the federation and its affiliated units.

The WFI is obligated to guarantee that the selection process for all international events is conducted in a manner that is free, fair, and transparent, in accordance with the stipulations of the Sports Code and the regulations periodically issued by the UWW. Furthermore, the WFI shall ensure compliance with the Sports Code, uphold the principles of good governance, and prioritize athlete welfare policies.

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