Wrestling
UWW threatens to re-impose ban on Wrestling Federation of India
United World Wrestling (UWW) has said that it will bar the Indian wrestlers from upcoming World Olympic qualifiers.
Representative Photo: Wrestling Mats
Indian wrestling crisis continues to take new turns as United World Wrestling (UWW) has threatened to reimpose the ban on the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and bar Indian wrestlers from the final Olympic qualifiers next month if an ad-hoc committee was brought back.
Recently, the Delhi High Court directed the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to file an affidavit stating the circumstances that led to the dissolution of the ad-hoc committee for running the national wrestling body.
The UWW (United World Wrestling) in a letter to WFI (Wrestling Federation of India) reiterated its stand that they won't allow any third party interference in the running of the national association of any country.
The e-mail sent by UWW President Nenad Lalovic said," We have been informed that the Wrestling Federation of India is once again threatened by your Ministry of Sports with the imposition of an Ad-hoc committee to oversee its affairs."
He reminded the WFI of the serious implications the move could have, including jeopardizing India's preparations for the upcoming Olympic Games.
"Besides our lassitude for this additional affair impacting your federation and its members, we would like to reiterate UWW's determination to uphold the principle of autonomy and independence of its national federations by the UWW Statutes and the Olympic Charter," said the e-mail.
"In case any decision or order should be made against your federation, and a third party be designated to run the daily affairs of our sport in India in violation of the UWW Statutes, UWW would have no other option than to re-impose a temporary suspension of your federation until further notice, and which, this time, could maybe include your athletes," the e-mail stated further.
The ad hoc committee was constituted by the IOA on the directions of the sports ministry on December 27 and was dissolved on 18th March.
India has won a total of four Paris Olympic quotas with three of them coming at the recently concluded Asian Olympic qualifiers. With no quota in men's wrestling, it would be tragic if UWW decided to go ahead with their warning.
