A defiant Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) will challenge its suspension by the Sports Ministry in court next week and has also called for an Executive Committee meeting in New Delhi on January 16 to discuss the way forward.
Outgoing WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh has convened a meeting on Sunday to nominate his panel, which will contest the upcoming WFI elections to elect the new office-bearers.
The four-day selection trials began on Wednesday at NIS Patiala and SAI Regional Centre in Sonepat under the chairmanship of ad hoc panel member Bhupinder Singh Bajwa.
IOA president Suresh Kalmadi has invited Rahul Gandhi along with other young Parliamentarians to participate in the Indian leg of the Olympic torch relay at the behest of the organisers. Besdies Gandhi, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Jitin Prasada and Sachin Pilot would also be invited. Kalmadi has also assured the relay, which had seen worldwide protests, would go without any hiccup in India.
Gandhi's meeting with the wrestlers comes against the backdrop of a controversy surrounding the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).
India will go unrepresented in five categories at the upcoming Zagreb Open in Croatia as Bajrang Punia, Antim Panghal and three others didn't give consent for their selection to the ad-hoc panel that announced a 13-member team on Tuesday.
The Delhi high court has asked Suresh Kalmadi, who has refused to resign from the presidentship of Indian Olympic Association, why he should not be suspended from the post along with Lalit Bhanot and V K Verma for their alleged acts of corruption during the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
Hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh and Olympic medallist boxer Lovlina Borgohain will be the flag-bearers of the Indian contingent during the opening ceremony of the Asian Games in Hangzhou on September 23.
The BCCI is in touch with the Indian Olympic Association on the issue.
The ad-hoc committee member added that the wrestlers' demand to hold the Worlds trials on or after August 20, as they need time to recover from the Asian Games trials, was "not feasible".
The World Championship trials are expected to be held by August 10, giving the wrestlers, who competed in Asian Games selection competition, just about 17 days to be ready for another gruelling contest.
Sports Ministry asks IOA to allow Lovlina's coach into CWG Village: Sources
A miffed Indian Olympic Association hit out at the Sports Ministry for not involving it in Saturday's merger talks to resolve the long-standing dispute between Hockey India and the Indian Hockey Federation.
The WFI ad-hoc panel on Tuesday handed Olympic medallist Bajrang Punia and World Championship medallist Vinesh Phogat direct entries into the Asian Games.
'The elections of the WFI were stayed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court on 11.08.2023 just a day before the poll and therefore, polling could not be held on 12.08.2023... the Supreme Court has vacated the stay orders and therefore the remaining steps like polling etc. will now recommence on 21.12.2023 as per the following revised schedule.'
India 'seriously' considering bid for 2036 Games, says sports minister
Bajwa, when asked whether Indian grapplers will compete under the United World Wrestling (UWW) flag at the Paris Olympics since the Wrestling Federation of India has been banned by the international body, told PTI that, since the Olympics and Asian Games are multi-discipline events, "they will compete as part of the Indian contingent".
Hardly 24 hours have passed since the formation of the new wrestling federation and trouble has started brewing within the sports body with Secretary General Prem Chand Lochab demanding postponement of the junior Nationals, saying the President did not follow rules while announcing the dates for the competition.
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday placed Hockey India under a three-member Committee of Administrators (CoA) to run its day-to-day affairs
The Indian Olympic Association, on Friday, announced a Rs 50 lac cash award for the gold medal winning athlete in the Rio Olympics.
All India Football Federation (AIFF) appealed to the Sports Ministry, leading to this favorable decision.
Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat should be withdrawn from India's Asian Games squad if they lose the upcoming trials for the World Championships.
Asian Games trials exemption to Phogat, Punia: HC to pronounce order on Saturday
WFI decided that it will seek a dialogue with the Sports Ministry for revocation of its suspension, saying it does not want a clash with the government and the legal options will be explored only if talks fail.
WFI elections now to be held on August 7
Defenders Konsam Chinglensana Singh and Lalchungnunga did not accompany the Indian football team that left the country on Sunday for the Asian Games in China.
India, on the other hand, finished runners-up twice in 2010 and 2014 editions.
Indian football team's head coach Igor Stimac has called upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention to ensure the team's participation at the Asian Games.
Mukesh Ambani, will become the IOA's principal partner and help the country's sports federations
The dates for the much-awaited WFI elections have been confirmed, with the results also set to be announced on the same day.
The women's national wrestling camp will be held at Sports Authority of India's Patiala centre in future following reservations from multiple female grapplers.
In a last-ditch attempt to fetch M C Mary Kom a berth at the Rio Olympics, the Indian Olympic Association and ad-hoc committee administering boxing in the country have officially sent a request for a wildcard entry to the celebrated boxer who could not make the cut via the qualifiers.
IOA athletes commission member Om Prakash Karhana came out in support of the wrestlers and said justice should be delivered as soon as possible.
The IOC has condemned the manner in which the protesting Indian wrestlers were being treated by Delhi Police.
The world body said it has been keeping an eye on the protest by the wrestlers against WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
Bajrang Punia claimed that Yogeshwar Dutt had several times asked him to lose matches on purpose in the past.
Brij Bhushan's comments came soon after his meeting with BJP chief JP Nadda following Sports Ministry's suspension of the WFI till further orders.
The ICC has tentatively identified the June 4-30 window for the T20 World Cup 2024 to be jointly hosted by the West Indies and the USA.
The IOA-constituted ad-hoc committee for wrestling has decided not to alter the criteria for the upcoming trials to select the team for the next month's World Championships in Belgrade.
