Will withdraw circular issued on February 26: WFI to Delhi HC

New Delhi [India], March 7 : The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) on Thursday informed the Delhi High Court that it will withdraw its circular issued on February 26, 2024 for conducting selection trials for the Senior Asian Wrestling Championships 2024 and
Asian Olympic Games Qualifier Wrestling Tournament.
Senior Advocate Dayan Krishnan appeared for WFI before the bench of Justice Sachin Datta and informed that the Federation is withdrawing its circular without prejudice to its rights and contentions.
The bench noted the submissions and said the trials for the competitions shall proceed as per the circular issued by the ad hoc committee appointed by the central government to manage the affairs of the WFI. The bench fixed April 26, for further hearings in the matter.
According to the circular of February 9, the trials for the Asian Olympic Qualifiers (April 19-21) and World Olympic Qualifiers (May 9-12) shall be held by the ad-hoc committee on March 10-11, 2024.
Last week, wrestlers Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat, and Satyawrat Kadiyan moved Delhi High Court against the WFI circular to conduct selection trials for the Senior Asian Wrestling Championships 2024 and Asian Olympic Games Qualifier Wrestling Tournament.
Plea by Wrestlers stated that suspended WFI is conducting selection trials for the Senior Asian Wrestling Championships 2024 and Asian Olympic Games Qualifier Wrestling Tournament notified through its circular February 26, 2024 against the directives of the Ad-Hoc Committee for WFI by the Indian Olympic Association and Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
Plea alleged that the petitioners, along with numerous other athletes, have been selectively targeted and harassed by WFI for being evidently vocal, outspoken, and critical of WFI's blatant illegalities and corrupt malpractices, including but not limited to allegations of sexual harassment by Federation office-bearers.
WFI, a National Sports Federation duly recognised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, held its elections on December 21, 2023. Immediately after the elections on December 21, 2023, the Ministry issued an order on December 24, 2023, abstaining the Executive Committee of WFI from carrying out any activities pertaining to managing and administering the day-to-day activities of the Federation.
The same order dated December 24, 2023, further directed the Indian Olympic Association to constitute an Ad-Hoc Committee to manage and control the affairs of the Wrestling Federation of India, including the selection of athletes, making entries for the participation of sportspersons in international events, holding of sporting activities, etc., with immediate effect, until further orders.
The plea further stated that despite clear directions to WFI by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and Olympic Association of India, the incumbent executive body of WFI had always acted illegally and overstepped the directives against the principles of the National Sports Development Code-2011, read with judgement passed on August 16, 2022, and contrary to the interests of wrestling athletes.
The petitioners sought direction from the ad hoc committee to continue administering the day-to-day affairs and management of WFI or, in the alternative, to appoint an administrator who is preferable, a retired judge of the Supreme Court or a retired judge of the High Court, to take over the affairs and management of WFI to ensure that the Olympic Association of India follows a time bound proposed road map to restructure and reconstitute Respondent WFI.