Chaos reigns days before WFI polls

At a time when the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) should be preparing the team for the 2012 London Olympic Games, it is busy fighting bitter elections that could pull the national body into further chaos.

At a time when the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) should be preparing the team for the 2012 London Olympic Games, it is busy fighting bitter elections that could pull the national body into further chaos.

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The elections, on April 15, are expected to be a stormy affair with three groups — Premnath, Kartar Singh and Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh — in the fray for key posts. Though the present incumbent, GS Mander, says he is not keen on contesting the elections, he is supporting Bhushan's group.

"The WFI is in a disarray. This does not augur well for a sport that earned India a bronze at the 2008 Beijing Games," said a coach on condition of anonymity. "Though the WFI has selected the probables for the national camp, it has failed to spot a core group for the Games," he added.

The WFI has further angered the contestants by adding a controversial clause in the constitution, which says that only members of the executive body are eligible to contest for the posts of president, secretary-general and senior vice-president. The move hasn't gone done well with some aspiring candidates and they are all set to move court.

In December 2005, the Indian Olympic Association had set up a two-member ad-hoc committee to oversee the functioning of the WFI, which resulted in the performance of the grapplers in the 2006 Doha Asian Games plummeting. In the event of such a thing happening all the gains of the Beijing Games will be lost.