Page 6 - Wrestling

Netflix to stream WWE Raw starting 2025 in $5 billion bet on live events

Netflix will also exclusively telecast outside the U.S. all WWE shows and specials, including SmackDown, as well as pay-per-view live events such as WrestleMania and Royal Rumble

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 ...

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

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

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 ...

IOA cannot exercise control over WFI, UWW should lift ban: WFI chief

The WFI has reminded United World Wrestling that as per the international body's rules and the IOC charter, the Indian Olympic Association "cannot exercise any control" on the newly-elected body, and asked the UWW to immediately lift the provisional suspension it imposed in August last year. The newly-elected Wrestling Federation of India chief Sanjay Singh, whose body was suspended by the sports ministry three days after it came to power and an IOA ad-hoc panel was re-instituted to run the sport, in his letter to UWW president Nenad Lalovic has also said that any influence by the IOA in wrestling should be deemed "illegal" by UWW. "Pursuant to the election, the newly-elected body has taken charge of the WFI and is managing its affairs, and we await the lifting of the provisional suspension imposed by the UWW," said Sanjay Singh in his letter to Lalovic on Friday, a copy of which is with PTI. "We understand that we continue to be an affiliated member of the UWW. However, there is a

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

Newly-elected WFI without Sanjay Singh is acceptable to us: Sakshi Malik

Sakshi Malik on Wednesday insisted that she has no issues with the newly-elected Wrestling Federation of India if Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh-loyalist Sanjay Singh is kept away from the body. Malik had announced her retirement from the sport on December 21 in protest against the election of Sanjay Singh as WFI President. The 2016 Rio Olympic Games bronze medallist also claimed that her mother has been receiving threat calls from former WFI chief Brij Bhushan's supporters. Malik, 31, said they will accept a WFI without Sanjay Singh but ruled out her own involvement in running of the federation. "We don't have any issues with the new federation except one man, Sanjay Singh. We don't have any issue if the new body comes back without Sanjay Singh. We do not have any issue with the ad-hoc committee as well," Malik told reporters. "The government is like parents for us and I would request them to make wrestling safe for the upcoming wrestlers. You have seen how Sanjay Singh has been behav

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

Wrestling: Bajrang Punia, Antim Panghal and 3 others opt out of Zagreb Open

India will go unrepresented in five categories at the upcoming Zagreb Open in Croatia as Bajrang Punia, Antim Panghal and three others didn't give consent for their selection to the ad-hoc panel that announced a 13-member team on Tuesday. Senior Worlds bronze medallist Panghal made herself unavailable as she wants to attend the national sports award ceremony where she will be conferred with the prestigious Arjuna award, while Olympic bronze medallist Bajrang, who had returned empty handed from the Asian Games, also decided to give it a miss. Bajrang, one of the prominent faces of the wrestlers' protest against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, was the only one missing in men's freestyle as the ad-hoc panel picked Aman Sehrawat (57kg), Yash (74kg), Deepak Punia (86kg), Vicky (97kg) and Sumit Malik (125kg) -- all who had participated at the Hangzhou Asian Games. "We had sought the consent of the wrestlers who were part of the Asian Games squad and only 13 gave their consent while five others

Senior national wrestling camps to commence in Patiala, Sonepat from Feb 9

The national wrestling camps for men and women will commence in Sonepat and Patiala respectively from February 9, according to the IOA-constituted ad-hoc committee for the sport here on Monday. With the Asian Olympics Qualifying and World Qualifying tournaments around the corner, the camps will begin almost immediately after the conclusion of the senior National Championships in Jaipur on February 5. The ad-hoc panel, headed by Wushu Association of India chief Bhupender Singh Bajwa with former hockey player MM Somaya and ex-shuttler Manjusha Kanwar being the other members, is taking all the crucial decisions after the newly-elected Sanjay Singh-led Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) was suspended by the Sports Ministry within three days of the polls. "Following the conclusion of the Senior National Championships, the National Coaching Camp (NCC) will be conducted. The men's camp (Greco-Roman and free-style) will be stationed at SAI NRC Sonepat, while the women's camp will be held

2023 Wrestlers' Protest: Elite athletes' revolt against system's harassment

From February 2023 to December 2023, three top Indian wrestlers Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phoigat brought the system down to its with their fight against systematic harassment

Wrestling Nationals in Jaipur from February 2-5, says WFI ad-hoc panel

The senior national championships for wrestling will be held from February 2 to 5 in Jaipur, the ad-hoc committee governing the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) said on Saturday. Competitions will be held for top honours in senior free style, Greco Roman and the women's section, the Bhupinder Singh Bajwa-led committee said in a press release. The release also stated that "all correspondence should be done with ad-hoc panel", making it clear that no stakeholder should be in touch with members of the suspended federation. The tournament will be organised by Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB) at Railway Stadium in Ganpati Nagar. Earlier, a three-member ad-hoc committee was formed by the Indian Olympic Association to oversee the WFI after the newly-elected body was suspended by the sports ministry for violating its own constitution. Last Sunday, the wrestling body was suspended for not making decisions in accordance with the provisions of its constitution. In order to manage th

Wrestling Federation of India office moved out of Brij Bhushan's residence

The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) on Friday moved its office out of the residence of its former president and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, after the sports ministry had recently raised serious objections to it. "The WFI will operate from a new address in New Delhi after vacating Brij Bhushan's premises," a source told PTI on condition of anonymity. The new WFI office is located in the Hari Nagar area of New Delhi. The ministry, while suspending the newly-formed WFI panel under president Sanjay Singh on December 24, three days after he was elected its head, had cited the office running from Brij Bhushan's residence as one of the reasons for taking the stringent action. "The business of the federation is being run from the premises controlled by former office bearers (Brij Bhushan) -- which is also the alleged premises wherein sexual harassment of the players have been alleged and present(ly) the court is hearing the matter," the ministry had said in its letter. The minis

IOA forms ad hoc committee to run wrestling in India after WFI's suspension

The WFI was suspended by the sports ministry after its controversial decision to announce U-15 and U-20 national championships in tainted former chief Brijbhushana Sharan Singh's constituency Gonda

Wrestler Vinesh Phogat to return Khel Ratna, Arjuna Award in protest

Vinesh Phogat took to X where she uploaded an open letter to the PM Modi, saying that she will return national awards won by her, including the Khel Ratna

Belated wisdom: Sena (UBT) mouthpiece jabs Centre over suspension of WFI

In its latest editorial, Saamana invoked the protests by wrestlers, who came out against former WFI president and BJP leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, accusing him of sexual harassment

I have severed ties with wrestling, says Former WFI chief Brij Bhushan

Bhushan held a press conference later in the day saying, "Sanjay Singh is not my relative. I have withdrawn myself from wrestling affairs of the country."