National Games 2023: WFI ad-hoc committee rejects entries sent by Rajasthan state association

The ad-hoc committee, appointed by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), currently in charge of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), rejected the entries sent by the Rajasthan State Wrestling Association for the National Games in Goa.

The ad-hoc committee, led by Bhupender Singh Bajwa, asked the state body to conduct fresh selection trials. The wrestling competition at the National Games will start on November 1.

The matter is now pending at the Delhi High Court as the court has sought a response from the Rajasthan High Court. The Delhi High Court will pass an order after getting a response from the Rajasthan High Court.

The ad-hoc committee has been in charge of the WFI since Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and his executive committee was quashed by the sports ministry in the wake of wrestlers' protest and allegation of sexual offences by women's wrestlers.

The Bajwa-led panel issued its circular on September 29 and then revised it on October 5, issuing new selection criteria for the wrestlers.

“After getting the circular from IOA, we conducted the trials on October 10. The selected wrestlers have even made their travel arrangements. What do we tell the wrestlers now,” Ummed Singh was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

“If the IOA ad-hoc panel was not to accept entries from us, it should not have asked us to conduct trials. Why did it ask us in the first place,” Singh added.