Only WFI can select teams for championships, says UWW

Vinayak Padmadeo

New Delhi, March 8

The international wrestling federation (UWW) has put a spanner in the works of the Sports Ministry and the Indian Olympic Association-appointed ad hoc panel, who were planning to hold the national trials for the Asian Championships and Olympics qualifiers.

UWW president Nenad Lalovic, who is also an executive board member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), has made it clear that the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) is the only authorised entity to select and announce teams for all continental and world championships, and the Olympics. The UWW recently revoked the WFI’s suspension.

The UWW president’s letter addressed to WFI president Sanjay Singh has cast doubt on the status of the trials that are to be held by the ad hoc panel headed by IOA official Bhupendra Singh Bajwa.

“It is the responsibility of the national federations 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,” the UWW chief said.

“The registration can be made only by the UWW affiliated national federations, using the competition administration system (“Athena”) exclusively, in accordance with the rules and deadlines provided by our regulations,” he added.

On Thursday, the ad hoc panel was given the authority to hold the trials after a decision from the Delhi High Court. The WFI was forced to withdraw its circular after both the IOA and the Ministry claimed that the body was not recognised by them.

The ad hoc panel then promptly released its own circular and announced that the women’s team trial will be held in Patiala while competition to select the men’s freestyle and Greco-Roman teams will be held in Sonepat.

“The trials for the upcoming Asian Championships and Olympic Games qualifiers will take place on March 10th and 11th, 2024, to be organized by the ad-hoc committee. These trials will be held at SAI Sonepat for men wrestlers (Freestyle & Greco Roman), and at NIS Patiala for women Wrestlers,” Bajwa had said in a release.

“The Olympic weight category’s winner will represent India at the Asian Olympic Qualifiers (April 19-21) and World Olympic Qualifiers (May 9-12). Due to the close proximity of the Asian Wrestling Championships (April 11-16) and Asian Olympic Qualifiers, the runners-up in Olympic weight categories will represent India at the Asian Championships. The winners in non-Olympic categories will represent India at the Asian Championships,” he added.