'Only National Championship organised by us will be genuine': Ad-hoc panel to suspended WFI

(L-R) Junior wrestlers holding protest at Jantar Mantar, WFI President Sanjay Singh (Pic: ANI)

A day after suspended Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) asserted that only the national federation has the mandate to organise the National Championships, the IOA-appointed ad-hoc panel said only the tournament organised by it will be considered "genuine".

The ad-hoc panel also made it clear that only the wrestlers who participate in competition conducted by it will get the "benefits".

Wrestlers vs WFI: Nationals to be held on January 29

The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) had on Tuesday announced that it will go ahead with the Nationals on Pune from January 29 after its first Executive Committee meeting post the elections.

WFI contended that its constitution mandates only the Federation to host the Nationals and the ad-hoc panel has no authority to conduct the National Championships.

The Sports Ministry, which had suspended WFI citing rules violation, had also said that WFI-organised events will not be recognised.

"It is clarified that only Sr. National Free Style, Greco Roman Style & Women National Wrestling Championships 2023, organised by RSPB is genuine, sanctioned and recognised championship by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports and all government benefits will only accrue to the sportspersons participating in such National Championships," Panel head Bhupendra Singh Bajwa said in a press release.

Wrestlers vs WFI: 'The sport has become a joke' claim wrestlers

WFI President Sanjay Singh had said on Tuesday that they will seek a dialogue with the ministry to get the suspension revoked. The fight for authority between ad-hoc panel and the WFI has only created confusion among the wrestlers.

"The sport has become a joke. Where do we go? This whole mess should be cleared for the benefit of wrestlers and the sport," said a woman wrestler who did not wish to be named.

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Meanwhile, wrestlers from an akhara in Haryana said they will compete in the Nationals which will be organised by WFI in Pune.

"We will go to Pune, we are not going to compete in Jaipur where the ad-hoc panel will conduct Nationals," said the wrestler.

Ad-hoc panel will conduct Nationals in Jaipur from February 2-5 with the help of Railways Sports Promotion Board (RSPB).

Interestingly former RSPB Secretary Prem Chand Lochab, who had the backing of protesting wrestlers, had grabbed the post of WFI Secretary General in the recently conducted WFI elections.

(With agency inputs)