IOA cannot have control, stresses WFI

Sanjay Singh

The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has reminded United World Wrestling (UWW) that as per the international body's rules and the IOC charter, the Indian Olympic Association, "cannot exercise any control" on the newly-elected body, and asked the UWW to immediately lift the provisional suspension it imposed in August last year.

The newly-elected WFI chief Sanjay Singh, whose body was suspended by the sports ministry three days after it came to power and an IOA ad-hoc panel was re-instituted to run the sport, in his letter to UWW president Nenad Lalovic has also said that any influence by the IOA in wrestling should be deemed "illegal" by UWW.

"Pursuant to the election, the newly-elected body has taken charge of the WFI and is managing its affairs, and we await the lifting of the provisional suspension imposed by the UWW," said Sanjay Singh in his letter to Lalovic on Friday, a copy of which is with PTI.

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"We understand that we continue to be an affiliated member of the UWW. However, there is a provisional suspension imposed by the UWW which was to be vacated after holding of the elections of the WFI as mentioned in your letter dated 23rd August 2023." Sanjay, who won the polls on December 21 by a huge margin, also drew UWW's attention to a Delhi High Court order which prohibits IOA's interference in the affairs of the National Sports Federations.

"We would also like to draw your attention to a judgment of the High Court of Delhi against the IOA which was passed on l6th August 2023, which stated that the IOA cannot exercise any control of authority over a National Sports Federation. Any influence by the IOA would be illegal, NSF's are independent entities."

Sanjay, a close associate of former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, also pointed out that when the Indian courts, the UWW rules and the Olympic charter all profess autonomy of NSF's how could the IOA breach those rules.

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