In response to a lawsuit filed by the Assam Wrestling Association (AWA) against the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) ad-hoc panel, Sports ministry, and the WFI, the Gauhati High Court on Sunday postponed the impending elections of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), set for July 11.
The Assam Wrestling Association claimed in its petition that despite being eligible to be an affiliated member of the WFI and despite a recommendation made by the WFI Executive Committee at the General Council meeting in November 2014, which was presided over by Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, it had been refused recognition.
The IOA ad hoc commission set June 25 as the deadline for submitting names to the electoral college, and July 11 as the date for the elections.
However, the Assam Wrestling Association argued in their appeal that the election process should be put on hold until the state unit joined the WFI and was able to nominate a candidate to the electoral college.
On the basis of this, the court ordered the defendants, including the WFI, the ad-hoc body, and the Sports ministry, to postpone the elections for the WFI Executive Committee until the next hearing date, which is set for July 17.
In its appeal, the AWA claimed that it has staged several national and state-level tournaments at the “behest” of the WFI and that it was “actively involved” in promoting wrestling in Assam.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Written By- Smrutiman Anantveer Mohanty, College Name- Army Law College, Pune, Intern under Legal Vidhiya
