The trials to select the Indian wrestling team for the upcoming World Championships will go ahead as scheduled on August 25-26 despite the world governing body of the sport (UWW) suspending the WFI for not conducting elections on time.
The United World Wrestling (UWW) on Wednesday suspended the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) for not conducting its elections within the mandated 45 days, which meant that the Indian grapplers will not be able to compete in the Worlds in Belgrade from September 16 under the Indian flag.
IOA-constituted ad-hoc panel chief Bhupender Singh Bajwa told PTI that the trials will be held as per schedule on Friday and Saturday in Patiala in all 10 weight categories in the men’s freestyle, greco-roman and women’s section.
“(The trials will go ahead), as per schedule,” Bajwa told PTI on Thursday.
He, however, declined to say whether a new circular will be issued in this regard in the wake of the latest developments.
Another ad-hoc committee member Gian Singh confirmed that the trials will be conducted as per schedule in Patiala but expressed his displeasure with the way things were being handled by the committee members, adding “this situation (suspension of WFI by UWW) could have been easily avoided”.
He said there was no requirement to further postpone the already delayed trials to select the team for the Worlds.
The trials were to be conducted by mid-August and the names sent to UWW on or before August 16 but due to the WFI election process being stalled by a Punjab and Haryana High Court order, fresh dates were announced.
“Usually in such cases (when the national body is suspended), the UWW allows athletes to compete as ‘neutral athletes’ at Olympic-qualifying World Championships. The Indian contingent could be given any name. UWW1 or UWW2 team and they can compete. But the medal won at the Worlds will not belong to the country (in this case India) but to individuals,” explained Gian.
He also said one should not jump the gun as the matter could get resolved soon.
“Sadly, the ad-hoc committee members have not been able to explain to the UWW that the legal process in India is independent of other processes. The ad-hoc panel members in their communications with UWW should have explained to them that WFI is not delaying the process. It’s a court order and can invite contempt. That way the 45-day deadline could have been avoided,” added Gian.
Another ad-hoc panel member said on condition of anonymity that Olympic quotas which the “independent athletes” might win at the World Championships will turn into quotas for the country if the matter gets resolved and a democratically-elected WFI is in place.
“There is no doubt that a democratically-elected WFI will be in place sooner rather than later, and UWW is quite accommodative in such cases. So the quota places won by ‘independent athletes’ will convert to quotas for the country,” he said, adding that “the same will not happen with medals”.
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