Narsingh Yadav Elected Chairman of WFI’s Athletes Commission
Former Commonwealth Games gold medallist Narsingh Yadav has been elected as the chairman of the Wrestling Federation of India’s (WFI) Athletes Commission. This appointment is part of a mandate by the sport’s governing body, the United World Wrestling (UWW).
A total of eight members were in contention to fill up the seven spots on the athletes commission. After polling conducted on a ballot paper, seven individuals chose Narsingh as the commission’s chairman.
The other elected members of the athletes commission are Sahil (Delhi), Smitha AS (Kerala), Bharti Bhaghei (UP), Khushboo S Pawar (Gujarat), Nikki (Haryana), and Sweta Dubey (Bengal).
UWW Lifts WFI Suspension
United World Wrestling, while lifting WFI’s suspension, stated that the move was subject to the Sanjay Singh-led national federation constituting an athletes’ commission to resolve wrestlers’ grievances.
Six top wrestlers, including Olympic medallists Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, and Asian Games gold-medallist Vinesh Phogat, protested against the then WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, demanding his arrest and accusing him of sexually harassing women wrestlers.
The Sports Ministry suspended the WFI and instituted an IOA ad-hoc committee to manage the federation’s day-to-day functioning. UWW also placed the WFI under provisional suspension on August 23 after the Indian body failed to hold fresh elections.
After the elections were held in December and Sanjay Singh was elected president, he wrote to UWW to lift the suspension. The UWW Bureau revoked the ban in February, with the pre-condition that the WFI constitute its athletes’ commission before July 1, 2024.
The UWW has mandated that the commission should have active or retired athletes for no longer than four years. The WFI has also provided UWW with a written guarantee that all wrestlers, including those who protested, will be considered for participation in competitions, particularly the trials for the Olympic Games and other major national and international events.
