The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) elections, originally scheduled for July 11, have been postponed by the Gauhati High Court. This decision came in response to a petition filed by the Assam Wrestling Association, which sought a delay in the elections. The court has directed the WFI's ad-hoc body and the Sports Ministry, the respondents in the case, to suspend the election until the next hearing, which is scheduled for July 17.
Petition by Assam Wrestling Association
The petition filed by the Assam Wrestling Association highlighted their claim that they were unjustly denied membership despite fulfilling the requirements outlined by the WFI Executive Committee during the association's General Council meeting in Gonda, Uttar Pradesh, on November 15, 2014.
They argued that they were entitled to membership and should be included in the WFI. Consequently, they emphasized the need to postpone the election process until their association's inclusion was ensured, enabling them to select their representative for the electoral college.
Suspension of election process demanded by state association
The state association's plea gained traction as the ad hoc commission had already set a deadline of June 25 for submitting names for the electoral college. Additionally, the election date of July 11 had been set for choosing the new governing body.
Given these circumstances, the Assam Wrestling Association asserted that it was crucial to halt the election proceedings until their inclusion in the WFI was resolved, granting them the opportunity to participate in the selection of their representative within the electoral college.
Fight will be in court not on road
The wrestlers protesting against the WFI made a significant announcement on Sunday. They revealed that their battle against Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh would now unfold within the confines of the court, rather than on the streets.
Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, and Bajrang Punia took to Twitter, sharing identical messages that acknowledged the government's fulfillment of its promise to file a chargesheet against Singh.
"In this case, the wresters' will continue till we get justice, but the (fight) will be in court and not on road," the statement on Twitter read.
"Regarding the reform in WFI, the election process, as promised, has begun. We will wait for fulfilment of promises made by the government regarding the July 11 elections."
