New Delhi [India], March 11: The Division Bench of the Delhi High Court on Tuesday disposed of the Wrestling Federation of India’s (WFI) appeal challenging the Single Judge’s order that reinstated the Ad-hoc Committee following the Sports Ministry’s March 10 decision to revoke WFI’s suspension. The bench, headed by Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyay, acknowledged the March 10 order by the Ministry of Sports, which reinstated WFI’s recognition as the national sports federation for wrestling
In response to the order, the court disposed of the appeal and granted the concerned parties the option to challenge the decision before an appropriate forum if they found it objectionable. Senior Advocate Jayant Mehta, representing the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, informed the court that the Ministry had revoked WFI’s 2023 suspension and restored its recognition with immediate effect, following careful consideration of the report from the Ministry’s sports verification committee and the Court’s observations. Mehta highlighted the importance of this decision to ensure the uninterrupted participation of Indian wrestlers in international competitions.
However, Senior Advocate Rahul Mehra, representing the wrestlers, expressed dissatisfaction, arguing that the formation of the Ad-hoc Committee violated the Sports Code. The bench, however, clarified that its immediate concern was the timely selection of the team to facilitate their participation in the upcoming Senior Asian Championships in Jordan.
In December, WFI had appealed to the Delhi High Court’s division bench, challenging the Single Judge’s August 16 decision that had reinstated the mandate of the Ad-hoc Committee appointed by the International Olympic Association (IOA) to oversee the federation’s affairs.
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Delhi High Court, Wrestling Federation of India, WFI, Ad-hoc Committee, Sports Ministry, suspension revocation, Sports Code, International Olympic Association, Indian wrestlers, Senior Asian Championships, sports federation, court order, legal challenge.