<p>According to IOC head of media Mark Adams on Sunday, the IOC is “closely” monitoring the events in Indian wrestling and is “supporting” United World Wrestling in finding a solution.</p>
<p>United World Wrestling (UWW) has suspended the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) for failing to hold elections within the allotted period.<img decoding=”async” class=”alignnone wp-image-238849″ src=”https://www.theindiaprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/theindiaprint.com-were-following-and-supporting-uww-to-address-indian-wrestling-issues-communication-1.jpg” alt=”theindiaprint.com were following and supporting uww to address indian wrestling issues communication 1″ width=”1248″ height=”701″ srcset=”https://www.theindiaprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/theindiaprint.com-were-following-and-supporting-uww-to-address-indian-wrestling-issues-communication-1.jpg 299w, https://www.theindiaprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/theindiaprint.com-were-following-and-supporting-uww-to-address-indian-wrestling-issues-communication-1-150×84.jpg 150w” sizes=”(max-width: 1248px) 100vw, 1248px” title=”We're 'Following' and 'Supporting' UWW to Address Indian Wrestling Issues: Communication Director for the IOC 3″></p>
<p>Due to the suspension of the national association, Indian wrestlers participated in the World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia in September under the UWW banner.</p>
<p>When asked if the IOC had spoken with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) or any other officials about the problems with wrestling, Adams, who is in attendance at the IOC Session, responded, “We are keeping across this one very closely, but the Wrestling Federation (UWW), which is the key interlocutor in this case, and we are following and supporting them (UWW), so I think most of your question is best directed to the Wrestling Federation (UWW).”</p>
<p>Following protests by seven wrestlers, including Olympic medalists Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik and Asian Games gold medalist Vinesh Phogat, who claimed WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh had sexually harassed female grapplers, the IOA appointed an ad-hoc committee for wrestling on April 27.</p>
<p>Elections were to be held by the ad hoc panel within 45 days.</p>
<p>On April 28, UWW had also issued a warning that if the election date was not observed, WFI may be suspended. The threat was followed out by UWW, which on August 24 suspended WFI for failing to hold elections on time.</p>
<p>The WFI elections were initially scheduled to take place on July 11; however, the Assam association filed a petition with the Gauhati High Court and was successful in having the elections postponed on June 25. The next hearing was scheduled for July 28.</p>
<p>The Gauhati High Court’s ruling was overturned on July 18 by the Supreme Court when the Andhra state association appealed, clearing the path for the votes to be held.</p>
<p>The Punjab and Haryana High Court halted the process on a motion made by the Haryana Wrestling Association (HWA), which was run by Deepinder Singh Hooda before being suspended by WFI. The returning officer then announced August 12 as the new election date.</p>
<p>The decision to let the Haryana Amateur Wrestling Association vote in the WFI elections was contested by HWA.</p>
<p>No new election dates have been set yet, but the matter is still being considered in court.</p>
<p>The IOC had issued a statement in May criticizing the police’s arrest of protesting wrestlers who attempted to march to the new Parliament building.</p>
