High Court stays WFI poll, setback to Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh

Chandigarh, August 11

In a setback to outgoing Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today stayed the elections to the WFI’s executing committee scheduled for Saturday.

Justice Vinod S Bhardwaj was hearing a petition filed against the Union of India and other respondents by the Haryana Wrestling Association through counsel Ravinder Malik Ravi. It had challenged order dated July 25 passed by respondent-WFI’s returning officer, whereby the petitioner’s claim for exclusion of representatives nominated by Haryana Amateur Wrestling Association (HAWA) for the federation’s electoral college in the upcoming poll was rejected. Counsel Ravi reiterated HAWA, not being affiliated, could not be permitted to represent the state association in violation of the WFI’s constitution.

Senior counsel Amit Jhanji, on WFI’s behalf, contended that in the WFI’s meeting on August 25, 2022, the name of the petitioner-Association was changed to “Haryana Amateur Wrestling Association” and cleared by general council. The next hearing is on August 28.