'Unsanctioned': Union Sports Ministry Says It Won't Recognise Events Organised By Suspended WFI

The sports ministry had suspended the WFI on December 24, three days after Sanjay Singh was elected as the new president.

Sanjay Singh, a close aide of sexual harassment accused Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, was elected as the new president of the federation last month.

Source : PTI

New Delhi: The Union Sports Ministry on Sunday said the suspended Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has no authority to conduct the Senior National Championships. Ministry further stated that any event organised by the body will be considered "unsanctioned" and "unrecognised".

The sports ministry had suspended the WFI on December 24, three days after Sanjay Singh was elected as the new president.

 

Ministry had suspended the sports body citing several violations of rules and then the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) formed a three-member ad-hoc panel to manage the federation's day-to-day affairs.

However, a defiant Sanjay Singh said that they will soon organise the national championships and insisted that they neither recognise the suspension of the newly-elected body nor the ad-hoc panel.

In a letter, the Ministry said, "It has come to the notice of the Ministry that you have issued a Circular bearing No. WFI/Senior National/Maharashtra/2024 dated 06.01.2024 on the letterhead of the Wrestling Federation of India regarding conduct of Senior National Wrestling Championship 2023 at Pune (Maharashtra) from 29–31 January 2024," reported PTI.

"As per this Ministry’s order dated 24.12.2023, you have no authority to issue such a Circular or to use the letterhead of the Wrestling Federation of India wherein you claim affiliation of the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports," the letter stated.

The ad-hoc panel had announced that it will host the senior national championships in Jaipur from February 2-5, reported PTI.

It further stated, "You must immediately cease and desist using the letterhead of the Wrestling Federation of India for such prohibited purposes and using the name, logos and insignia of the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of India in violation of the provisions of the National Sports Development Code of India, 2011(Sports Code) and the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950."

In the strongly-worded letter to Sanjay Singh, the Ministry further said that "any championships or competitions organized by you – the suspended Executive Committee members of the WFI - will be treated as unsanctioned and unrecognized competitions."

"Certificates of participation and medals won in championships conducted by the WFI will be of no consequence and will not be considered for eligibility under any scheme of the government or appointment to government jobs/to get admission in school and colleges under sports quota, sports awards, etc.," the Ministry said.

"Until further orders, only National Wrestling Championships for various age categories organized under the supervision of the IOA-appointed Ad hoc Committee for Wrestling will be treated as sanctioned and recognized championships for wrestling under the Sports Code and all government benefits will only accrue to the sportspersons participating in such National championships organized by the Ad hoc Committee," it added, reported PTI.

In protest against Sanjay, who is a close aide of sexual harassment accused Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, senior wrestlers like Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat returned their awards.

Meanwhile, Sakshi Malik had quit wrestling the day Sanjay won the WFI president's election.