NEW DELHI: The newly-elected executive committee of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) on Tuesday struck a conciliatory note with the government after offering to initiate dialogues with the sports ministry for the revocation of its suspension while putting on hold decision to approach the court seeking relief.
In its EC meeting held, the Sanjay Singh-led federation decided to explore legal options and hold more talks with its member state units before knocking on the doors of the judiciary.
However, maintaining a confrontationist attitude, the EC members announced to hold the senior Nationals as planned in Pune from January 29-31 against the ministry’s wishes.
The ministry had suspended the WFI for ‘blatantly disregarding the procedural norms’ and ‘appearing to be in complete control of former office-bearers’ following its controversial elections. Later, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) formed a three-member ad-hoc committee, which decided to hold the Nationals in Jaipur from February 2 to 5.
“For the time being, we have decided against going to the court seeking revocation of our suspension. We have planned to hold talks with the government with a request to lift our suspension. If it doesn’t happen, we will seek legal opinions and then approach the court,” WFI’s treasurer, Satya Pal Singh Deshwal, told TOI.
“We will, however, go ahead with the conduct of the senior Nationals in Pune. We have instructed all our member state units to hold trials and select their teams for the Nationals. The new EC of the WFI doesn’t recognise the ad-hoc panel and reject its call to hold the Nationals,” Deshwal added.
The EC meeting was attended by 12 elected members. Secretary general Prem Chand Lochab and senior vice-president Devender Kadian were the absentees. Deshwal also informed that the EC members have written to the United World Wrestling (UWW), the sport’s global governing body, to lift its suspension of the WFI so that Indian athletes can participate under the country’s flag and not as ‘neutral’ athletes.
