New Delhi [India], March 11: The Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has lifted the suspension on the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), restoring its recognition as a National Sports Federation (NSF) for wrestling.
The suspension was initially imposed after Sanjay Singh, the newly elected president of WFI, announced the hosting of the U-15 and U-20 nationals in Nandini Nagar, Gonda district, Uttar Pradesh, in December 2023. This decision came in the wake of protests by top Indian wrestlers, including Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, and Bajrang Punia, who had accused the former president of WFI, Brij Bhushan Singh, of sexual assault.
In August 2023, the International Wrestling Federation (United World Wrestling or UWW) imposed a ban on the WFI for failing to organize elections within a prescribed timeline following the sexual harassment allegations and the protests against Brij Bhushan Singh. In response, the International Olympic Association (IOA) set up an ad-hoc committee to oversee the federation’s activities.
In late December 2023, elections were held and Sanjay Singh was elected as the new president. However, his election was met with further protests by wrestlers who claimed that he was a close associate of the former president. Following his election, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports suspended the federation again.
The Ministry’s suspension followed Singh’s announcement regarding the hosting of the U-15 and U-20 nationals in Gonda. Subsequently, the IOA once again formed an ad-hoc committee to manage the daily affairs of the WFI.
In March 2024, the IOA dissolved the ad-hoc committee, stating that the ban imposed by United World Wrestling (UWW) had been lifted and the WFI’s selection trials for future competitions had been successfully completed.
UWW lifted the ban on the Wrestling Federation of India in February 2024, marking the end of the suspension and signaling the restoration of the federation’s full status.