Page 3 - Wrestling Federation Of India

Wrestler Bajrang Punia urges world body to reimpose suspension on WFI

Olympic medallist Bajrang Punia on Thursday urged world governing body UWW to reimpose suspension on Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), saying reinstating the Sanjay Singh-led body has again put wrestlers under "threat and harassment". The United World Wrestling (UWW) on Tuesday lifted the provisional suspension imposed on WFI but with a condition: the national federation must provide written guarantees ensuring no discriminatory action against the protesting trio - Punia, Sakshi Malik, and Vinesh Phogat. "This decision has again put Indian wrestlers under threat and harassment by WFI members," Punia wrote in his letter, shared on his social media handle 'X'. UWW had suspended WFI in August 23 for not holding elections on time. After numerous hurdles, WFI finally held its polls and Sanjay Singh was elected President. "We wrestlers request you kindly support Indian athletes against unfair practices and harassment through various means. Indian wrestlers are looking up to you for ..

Sakshi, Bajrang threaten for fresh protest after WFI suspension lifted

Olympic medal-winning grapplers Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia on Wednesday alleged that national federation chief Sanjay Singh used devious means to get the suspension on WFI lifted by United World Wrestling (UWW) and threatened to restart their agitation against the body. The UWW on Tuesday lifted the provisional suspension on India but directed the national federation to provide written guarantees that there would be no discriminatory action against the protesting trio of Punia, Malik and Vinesh Phogat. The suspension was imposed by UWW in August last year after the WFI failed to hold elections in time. Punia, Malik and Phogat have been protesting for more than a year, demanding the arrest of former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh for allegedly sexually harassing women grapplers. "We came to know yesterday that Sanjay Singh had done some setting with UWW to get the suspension lifted. Brij Bhushan and Sanjay Singh have left no stone unturned to show that they are above the la

Ad-hoc committee holds no significance: WFI president Sanjay Singh

Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) President Sanjay Singh on Tuesday welcomed the United World Wrestling (UWW)'s decision to lift its suspension with immediate effect and said that the ad-hoc committee headed by Bhupinder Singh Bajwa "holds no significance". The suspension was imposed by UWW on August 23 last year after the national federation failed to hold elections in time. "I welcome this decision by UWW. Ad-hoc committee holds no significance now," Singh, who is known to be a loyalist of former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, told PTI. "We have been officially recognized, and my suspension has ended. Therefore, seeking legal advice holds no significance for us," added Singh, who wanted to take the legal route amid his run-ins with the ad-hoc committee. The UWW has directed the national federation to provide written guarantees that there would be no discriminatory action against the trio of Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik, who had protested on the streets of

National Wrestling Championships: Vinesh Phogat clinches 55kg category gold

Asian Games gold medallist Vinesh Phogat clinched the 55kg gold medal in the Senior National Wrestling Championships being organised by the IOA-constituted ad-hoc committee, here on Sunday. Vinesh showcased her experience by defeating her opponent from Madhya Pradesh Jyoti 4-0 despite the ace grappler competing in a higher weight category. The 29-year-old Vinesh, representing Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB), had won the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games gold in 50kg category, while her title triumph at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games had come in the 53kg category. In another keen contest, 2021 World Championship silver medallist, Haryana's Anshu Malik defeated 2020 Asian Championship gold medallist Sarita Mor (Railways) 8-3 in the 59kg category. Haryana women dominated the proceedings, taking the top spot with 189 points and narrowly pushing powerhouse RSPB to second spot with 187 points. Pondicherry were a distant third with 81 points. In the men's greco-roman section, RSPB .

Our govt has provided assistance to athletes to excel, flourish: PM Modi

Prime Minister Modi said that the BJP government, be it in states or at the Centre, gives top priority to youth and the sports budget has seen a three-fold increase over the last 10 years

Around 700 wrestlers to compete in senior nationals in Pune: WFI President

Around 700 grapplers, representing all affiliated state units except Punjab and Odisha, will participate in the Senior National Championship in Pune from Monday, the suspended Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) said on Saturday. The national body was suspended by the Sports Ministry on December 24, just three days after it held its election for violating its own constitution after it announced to host the 2023 age group nationals in Gonda, UP in last week of December. The Sports Ministry had said that the Nationals organised by WFI will not recognised. However, WFI remains defiant. "The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) is organising its 2023 Senior National Wrestling Championship in Free Style, Greco Roman & Women Wrestling. The Championship is being organised by the Maharashtra Rajya Kushtigiri Sangh at Pune from 29th to 31st January 2024," said WFI president Sanjay Singh in a statement. "Around 700 Wrestlers across the country are participating in this mega event. All ...

Ad-hoc committee of WFI announces U20, U15 championships in Gwalior

The Ad-Hoc Committee for Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) announced on Saturday that U20 and U15 freestyle, greco-roman and women's national wrestling championships will be held in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh from February 11-17 this year. Around 1,200 wrestlers will be participating in the championships."The event is scheduled to take place at the prestigious Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education on Racecourse Road, LNUPE Campus, Shakti Nagar, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh 474002. The championships will run from the 11th to the 17th of February 2024. Around 1200 Wrestlers & 300 Officials will part in the competitions," said a statement from the ad-hoc committee, which was formed by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on instructions from the Union Minitry of Youth Affairs and Sports.This marquee event is set to showcase the incredible talent and prowess of young wrestling enthusiasts from across the nation. Athletes in the Under-20 (U20) and Under-15 (U15) age ...

Sakshi Malik advices wrestlers to participate in ad-hoc panel's nationals

Olympic bronze medallist Sakshi Malik on Thursday advised the country's wrestlers to participate in the Nationals conducted by the ad-hoc committee in Jaipur and not in the event organised by the suspended national federation. Along with Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi led a prolonged fight against the Wrestling Federation of India's (WFI) former president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who was accused of sexual harassment and intimidation by the trio. "I urge the wrestlers to go and play in the Nationals organised by the ad-hoc committee and not to take part in the tournament organised by the WFI. The tournament organised by the ad-hoc panel is the recognised event," Sakshi said in a video on X. Last month, the ad-hoc committee governing the WFI announced that the senior national championships for wrestling would be held from February 2 to 5 in Jaipur. The Bhupinder Singh Bajwa-led panel said the event will feature competitions across senior free style, Greco Roman, and women'

WFI chaos: Singh refutes Lochab's claims of being unaware of panel meet

The suspended faction of the WFI on Tuesday held a meeting to discuss the suspension which was imposed by the Union Sports Ministry

WFI to seek suspension revocation through dialogue, legal challenge on hold

The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) on Tuesday decided that it will seek a dialogue with the Sports Ministry for revocation of its suspension, saying it does not want a clash with the government and the legal options will be explored only if talks fail. The WFI had earlier said it will knock the doors of judiciary to get the suspension revoked but changed the mind at its Executive Council (EC) meeting which was chaired by President Sanjay Singh and attended by 12 other elected members. Secretary General Prem Chand Lochab and Senior Vice President Devender Kadian skipped the meet. "We do not want a clash with the government. We are not moving court as of today. We will seek time from the ministry and a delegation will try and speak with the government," Sanjay Singh told PTI after the meeting. Asked if he won't get time from the ministry he said,"First we have to try. We want to know what we need to do to get the suspension lifted. Like UWW had set certain conditions when it had

WFI to seek suspension revocation from sports ministry through dialogue

The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) on Tuesday decided that it will seek a dialogue with the Sports Ministry for revocation of its suspension, saying it does not want a clash with the government and the legal options will be explored only if talks fail. The WFI had earlier said it will knock the doors of judiciary to get the suspension revoked but had a change of mind at its Executive Council (EC) meeting, which was chaired by President Sanjay Singh and attended by 12 other elected members. Secretary General Prem Chand Lochab and Senior Vice President Devender Kadian skipped the meet. "We do not want a clash with the government. We are not moving court as of today. We will seek time from the ministry and a delegation will try and speak with the government," Sanjay Singh told PTI after the meeting. Asked if he won't get time from the ministry, he said, "First we have to try. We want to know what we need to do to get the suspension lifted. Like UWW had set certain conditions when

WFI to go ahead with EC meeting, set to ratify decisions taken during AGM

The suspended Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) will go ahead with its Executive Committee meeting here on Tuesday and has vowed not to budge from its decision of hosting the national championships despite the sports ministry issuing a warning against it. The notice for the Executive Committee was issued on December 31 and most state associations are expected to attend. It is expected the members will ratify the decisions taken during the General Council meeting of the WFI on December 21, hours after the new office bearers were elected. The WFI had announced that it will conduct Nationals in Pune from January 29-31, prompting the sports ministry to say that the federation has no authority to conduct the Senior National Championships and any event staged by the body will be considered "unsanctioned" and "unrecognised". "We are going ahead with the meeting. I am expecting all affiliated units to attend the meeting. We will not step back. The decision to host the Nationals was taken

Sanjay Singh claims unknown caller threatened to kill him, Brij Bhushan

Police have registered a case after an unidentified person allegedly issued a death threat to the president of the suspended Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), Sanjay Singh, and his predecessor and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over the phone, an official said on Sunday. A complaint was received from Sanjay Singh that on January 13, a person had called from an unidentified number and threatened to kill them, SHO of Bhelupur police station Vijay Kumar Shukla told PTI. A case has been registered under sections 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 507 (criminal intimidation by an anonymous communication) of the IPC, he said. According to the police, Sanjay Singh has said in his complaint that on the night of January 12, someone had called twice on his mobile phone from an unfamiliar number but he did not pick up. On January 13, calls started coming again from the same number. The third time he received the call following which the caller abused

We do not consider Ad-hoc committee: Suspended WFI President Sanjay Singh

In defiance, Singh refused to acknowledge the committee, stating that they are an "autonomous body" and cannot be banned

Sports ministry says it won't recognise events organised by suspended WFI

The Sports Ministry on Sunday said the suspended Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has no authority to conduct the Senior National Championships and any event staged by the body will be considered "unsanctioned" and "unrecognised". Three days after the WFI held its polls last month, the Ministry had suspended the sports body citing several violations of rules and then the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) formed a three-member ad-hoc panel to manage the federation's day-to-day affairs. However, a defiant Sanjay Singh, President of the suspended WFI, said that they will soon organise the national championships and insisted that they neither recognise the suspension of the newly-elected body nor the ad-hoc panel. "It has come to the notice of the Ministry that you have issued a Circular bearing No. WFI/Senior National/Maharashtra/2024 dated 06.01.2024 on the letterhead of the Wrestling Federation of India regarding conduct of Senior National Wrestling Championship 2023 at Pune ...

Delhi Police starts afresh argument in charges against WFI ex-chief

The Delhi Police on Thursday started afresh its argument on whether to frame charges against former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh before a local court in an alleged sexual harassment case lodged against him by women wrestlers. The police made the submissions before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Priyanka Rajpoot, who recently started hearing the matter after the judge trying the case earlier was transferred. During the arguments, the police told the court that there is sufficient "prima facie" evidence to put Singh and co-accused Vinod Tomar, the former assistant secretary of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), on trial. The judge also granted an exemption from personal appearance to Singh, also a BJP MP, for the day on an application moved by his lawyer. "Counsel for the accused persons has moved an application seeking exemption on behalf of accused Brij Bhushan Sharan. Heard. Perused. In view of averments made in the application, accused Brij Bhushan Sharan i

WFI to challenge its suspension next week, calls EC meeting on Jan 16

A defiant Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) will challenge its suspension by the Sports Ministry in court next week and has also called for an Executive Committee meeting here on January 16 to discuss the way forward. Citing violation of the National Sports Code and the WFI constitution, the government had suspended the newly-elected body on December 24, three days after the Federation conducted its election. The WFI has maintained that it neither accepts the suspension nor does it recognise the ad-hoc panel that has been constituted by the IOA to manage the day-to-day affairs of the sport. "We need a properly functioning Federation. We are taking the matter to the court next week. This suspension is not acceptable to us because we were elected democratically. We have also called the Executive Committee meeting on January 16," WFI President Sanjay Singh told PTI. Singh, who hails from Varanasi, reasoned how the ad-hoc panel was not equipped to deliver in crunch time. "You have s

Post junior wrestlers' protest, ad-hoc panel announces U-15, U-20 Nationals

The ad-hoc panel, managing wrestling affairs in the country, on Wednesday announced organisation of U15 and U20 National championships within six weeks, hours after junior wrestlers held a protest at Jantar Mantar and demanded dissolution of the IOA-constituted committee. The panel "acknowledged the concerns" of the young wrestlers who have been hit hard by the year-long protests by top India grapplers. Wrestling activities in the country have been hit hard following protests by the country's top three grapplers -- Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat -- against former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. Neither the National camps nor the junior nationals have been held since January 2023. Hundreds of junior wrestlers lost one full year due to the stalemate. Bhupender Singh Bajwa, chairman of the three-member panel, assured the junior wrestlers that he would soon organise the sub junior and junior Nationals in Gwalior. "The (ad-hoc) committee acknowledges the concerns r

Hundreds of junior wrestlers protest against Bajrang, Sakshi and Vinesh

The ongoing crisis in Indian wrestling took a fresh twist on Wednesday when hundreds of junior wrestlers assembled at Jantar Mantar here to protest against the loss of one crucial year of their careers, a situation for which they blamed top grapplers Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik and Vinesh Phogat. Loaded in buses, the junior wrestlers arrived from different parts of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi, catching the police unaware. Close to 300 of them came from Arya Samaj Akhara in Chhaprauli, Baghpat while many others came from the Virender Wrestling Academy in Narela. Many are still packed in buses and they plan to deboard and join their colleagues when more wrestlers arrive at the landmark protest site. The security personnel struggled to control them as they shouted slogans against Punia, Malik and Phogat. The protesters were carrying banners that read: 'UWW save our wrestling from these 3 wrestlers'. Ironically, almost a year back at the same protest site, the top three wrestlers

Wrestlers seek UWW intervention in resolving wrestling crisis in India

Several international medal-winning wrestlers from different states have approached the world governing body UWW, requesting its intervention for restoration of the suspended WFI and accused Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik of orchestrating a "fake agitation". The three wrestlers had led a protest against former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, alleging that he has sexually exploited women wrestlers and sought his arrest. The matter is being heard by a Delhi court and Brij Bhushan is out on bail. The National camps have not been held for a long time due to the ongoing tussle between the elite wrestlers and the BJP MP. An ad-hoc panel ran the sport till recently but was brought back to handle day-to-day affairs of the sports body after the newly-elected body was suspended by the Sports Ministry. "I would like to inform you that due to fake agitation of three wrestlers, the wrestling in India has been destroyed. I am a woman wrestler but I did not face any sexual dem