UWW Says Govt's Ad-Hoc Body Can't Hold Trials for Wrestling's Olympic Qualifiers

The UWW has said it will not accept any entries from India for Olympic qualifiers, that are not sent by the WFI

Sanjay Singh has confirmed the suspended WFI committee will speak with the sports ministry.

Image: IANS

The United World Wrestling (UWW), the governing body for international wrestling, has clarified that only the officially affiliated Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) can send teams to all competitions conducted under its aegis.

Currently, the Sanjay Singh-led Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has been recognised by UWW whereas the Sports Ministry is yet to lift the suspension it imposed following the elections.

The need to seek clarification from UWW came after Olympic medallist Sakshi Malik claimed that the ad-hoc committee set up by the Sports Ministry will pick teams for the upcoming Senior Asian Wrestling Championships 2024 and the Asian Olympic Qualifying Tournament. The trials are scheduled to happen on 10 and 11 March.

However, UWW president Nenad Lalovic, in a letter written to Sanjay Singh, president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) and sent via email, clarified that only the body affiliated with it will be allowed to put up teams for international competitions.

"It is the responsibility of the national federations regularly affiliated to UWW to select and announce their teams for the Continental Championships, the World Championships, the Olympic Games Qualifying Tournaments as well as the Ranking Series and other international tournaments on the official calendar," said Lalovic in his mail addressed to Sanjay Singh.

"From the outset, it is reminded here that, after the lifting of the suspension imposed by the UWW on your federation on February 13, 2024, UWW considers your federation as any other affiliated federation, duly functioning in compliance with the UWW regulations, and subject to all rights and obligations conferred by this status," he clarified.

The letter informed that registration of players for tournaments can be made only by the UWW-affiliated national federations, using the competition administration system exclusively, under the rules and deadlines set by the federation.

This means that the Sanjay Singh-led Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) will select teams for the upcoming tournaments and has recently invited all eligible wrestlers to appear for trials.

Olympian Bajrang Punia has said that he would not participate in trials in case the trials were conducted by the WFI without the intervention of the Sports Ministry.