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IOC backs UWW move to lift Wrestling Federation of India's suspension
IOC at its two-day executive meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland, took note of the development.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has backed the world wrestling body's move to lift the suspension on the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).
United World Wrestling (UWW) had placed WFI under provisional suspension on August 23 last year after the national federation failed to hold elections. After WFI's election was held in December, UWW Bureau met on February 9 to review the situation and decided to lift the suspension. The Indian Olympic Association followed suit, and dissolved its ad hoc committee that had run the sport for almost a year.
IOC at its two-day executive meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland, took note of the development.
"The IOC supports UWW as the competent international federation to address the governance of the sport of wrestling in India and, in particular, of the Wrestling Federation of India," an IOC spokesperson told HT.
"We understand that the Wrestling Federation of India has been reinstated recently by UWW and that the ad-hoc committee which was created by IOA was formally dissolved by letter dated 18 March 2024, in line with the UWW position," the spokesperson added.
IOC has been closely following the developments in India over the wrestling protests. In May, IOC called for speedy investigation in line with the local law into the allegations of protesting wrestlers and urged that the safety and well-being of wrestlers be duly considered.
As conditions to lift the suspension, UWW asked WFI to re-convene the election of its Athletes’ Commission and give guarantees that
the three athletes (Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik) who protested against alleged wrongdoings by the previous WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh will be considered for participation without any discrimination in all WFI events, trials for the Olympic Games and other major national and international events.
It was learnt that WFI will hold the Athletes Commission during the Senior Federation Cup in Chhattisgarh on April 24-25. WFI has also named a seven-member Prevention of Sexual Harassment Internal Complaint Committee.
Indian wrestlers will be able to compete under the country's flag at the upcoming Asian Championships and Paris Olympics qualifiers.
Boxing woes
The inclusion of boxing in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics though is still on hold, IOC said. It said the de-recognised International Boxing Association "will not be involved in the organisation of the boxing tournament at LA28, should boxing be included in the sports programme.”
“The IOC EB made it clear, once again, that this must be the last time that such a process can be undertaken by the IOC. Following the decision by the IOC Session last year, the inclusion of boxing in the LA28 Olympic programme is on hold and not confirmed. If there is no boxing body supported and driven by the National Federations, we will not be in a position to include boxing in the Olympic programme," IOC sports director Kit McConnell said after its executive meeting.
“So, it’s now up to the National Federations to drive this change and to work to create a body that we can work in partnership with, because we cannot move forward with this current situation."
IOC is organising the boxing competition at the Paris Olympics.
