The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has been delivered the knockout punch which was imminent. The United World Wrestling (UWW), the sport’s global governing body, has suspended it for not holding elections on time, despite repeated warnings. Apart from tarnishing the image of a body already mired in controversies, this could have other implications for one of India’s most productive Olympic sports, which has given the country seven medals down the years.
Indians will not be allowed to compete under the national flag at the World Championships in Belgrade from September 16-25. This is one of the most unfortunate moments for an athlete, to be unable to have the flag on his/her shirt while representing the country. In recent times, boxing is possibly the only sport where Indian participants had to suffer this fate at a World Championships, about a decade ago.
Secondly, there is now sudden uncertainty over the World Championships selection trials, scheduled in Patiala on August 25 and 26. The WFI had been disbanded by the sports ministry earlier this year and an ad-hoc body was running affairs under the supervision of the Sports Authority of India (SAI). It remains to be seen if the trials go ahead after the ban on the WFI, and who takes on the authority of selecting the team.
There are also apprehensions that the world body may not be pleased to see a national federation run by the SAI, which is a government organisation. There are questions and fears in the corridors concerned, whether it amounts to government interference in the administration of a national federation. This is not allowed in the Olympic Charter, and has prompted various international federations to take action against erring national bodies.
Possibly, the most far-reaching consequence is the future of Indian wrestling. It is the only sport except for hockey where India have won Olympic medals in four successive editions, from 2008-2020/21. In this period, Indians also secured podium finishes at the World Championships. If not a superpower, India was emerging as a consistent contender for medals in the top events.
The UWW verdict is the latest blow for a sport which has been in turmoil since January, when leading wrestlers made sexual harassment and other allegations against Brij Bhushan Saran Singh, then WFI president. The matter turned ugly, Singh’s political clout made things complicated, and a probe is currently underway after the intervention of the Supreme Court.
It would still not have come to this had elections been held on time. After dissolving the existing WFI and forming the ad-hoc committee at the end of April, the sports ministry had asked it to conduct elections. Even the UWW gave an ultimatum of 45 days. Political interests and other factors came into play at this stage. First the Guwahati High Court and then the Punjab and Haryana High Court issued orders against elections. The UWW deadline lapsed in June. The latest complications over elections hastened the suspension call.
It raises the question why the petitioners wanted a verdict against holding elections. It’s mandatory for every national federation in the world. The presence in court of people close to political parties from opposite poles made it more intriguing. The protest by wrestlers against the former WFI president and other officials had long since turned political. Their continued involvement has prevented matters from settling down. Effectively, they have stopped a sport body from being run according to Olympic statutes.
There may be people or entities benefiting from this, but the biggest victims are the wrestlers. In spite of discouraging developments like the charges against Brij Bhushan, and sit-in protests by some of India’s wrestling stars who were then dragged away by the police when they took out a march towards the new Parliament building, many wrestlers were focussed on wrestling.
Proof of this came at the recent World Junior Championship in Jordan, where the women’s team won gold and the men bronze. It showed that the youngsters were keen to emulate or better their predecessors. They were doing the right things, with the right kind of guidance and assistance. With the Asian Games and World Championships, equal attention should be paid to this bunch, which needs that push to make a successful transition from junior to senior level.
With the suspension on WFI and no solution in sight regarding elections, this upcoming crop is in a pickle. It takes spotting, training, planning, exposure trips, coaches, physios and a lot more to groom an international athlete. Those supposed to look after such things are fighting ego battles. They should realise that the turmoil they have unleashed is at the cost of the future of these young men and women, who have dreams to fulfil.
Also Read: Moment of Reckoning for Indian Wrestling