New Delhi: The Indian team for the Senior World Championships got a green signal to participate after participating wrestlers and top Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) officials met Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.
The Worlds (for non-Olympic weight classes) will be held in Tirana, Albania from October 28. The team will leave on Sunday.
It came as a huge relief for twelve wrestlers who are now set to compete at the world championships. The wrestlers, along with their parents, went to meet the Sports Minister at his residence in the morning following the uncertainty over their participation.
On Thursday, WFI had withdrawn the Indian team from the World Championships, citing the Sports Ministry’s continued “interference in its autonomy.” WFI president Sanjay Singh has written to the United World Wrestling (UWW) President Nenad Lalovic, saying the Sports Ministry “continues to interfere in the autonomy of the WFI.
The Minister met the wrestlers and resolved the crisis.
“A group of wrestlers met me and apprised me of their concern. I gave the direction that the court matter will continue in court but the wrestlers must compete in World Championships. They should get this opportunity,” Mandaviya told reporters.
Mandaviya, who met WFI president Sanjay Singh, extended government’s support and asked WFI to send the team.
“We discussed the issue with the Sports Minister and cleared the participation of the team. He also said there will be a review (of the suspension order). The team will depart on Sunday morning,” said Singh.
Earlier this month, WFI was restrained from holding selection trials by the Delhi High Court on a contempt plea by Satyawart Kadian — a protesting wrestler and husband of Sakshi Malik.
WFI remains suspended by the Sports Ministry as per the December 24 order, even as the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) disbanded the ad-hoc committee that was running the day-to-day affairs of WFI after United World Wrestling lifted its suspension on WFI.
The court ruled that WFI has no jurisdiction to hold the selection trials and the ad hoc committee has to hold the trials.
On August 16, Delhi High Court restored the mandate of an ad-hoc committee to manage wrestling’s governance, saying that its dissolution was “unwarranted” and “incongruous”.