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The action forms part of the Wrestling Federation of India’s wider efforts to eliminate age manipulation in age-group competitions.
WFI said wrestlers are submitting forged birth certificates to gain eligibility for participation in National Championships. (AFP Photo)
As many as five wrestlers, including U20 Asian Championship trials winner Deepanshu, have been suspended by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) on Thursday
for four years after a verification exercise found that their birth certificates were fake. The action is part of the federation’s ongoing crackdown on age fraud in the sport.
Deepanshu, who won the men’s freestyle 65kg event on Wednesday, has been replaced in the Indian squad by Pawan Balaji Dhayagude for the U20 Asian Championship, which begins on June 27 in Pattaya, Thailand.
The other wrestlers suspended are Tanuj Antil, Baljot Singh, Nikhil Dalal and Saket Drall. Saket had reached the final of the 86kg trials but was removed from the competition after the findings. He was replaced by Sahil Dalal, who eventually secured a place in the Indian team.
In an order issued by WFI president Sanjay Kumar Singh, the federation said it had taken a “very serious view” of wrestlers submitting forged birth certificates to gain eligibility for participation in National Wrestling Championships.
According to the WFI, discrepancies in birth certificates have surfaced in several cases over recent months, resulting in suspensions and attracting widespread attention across print, electronic and social media.
“Despite the action already taken, some wrestlers allegedly continued attempting to compete in national events by submitting alternative or fabricated documents,” WFI said in its notice.
The federation stated that verification carried out with the Registrar (Birth and Death), Municipal Corporation, Chandigarh, confirmed that the birth certificates submitted by the five wrestlers were not genuine. It added that the corresponding records could not be found in the official registers.
Describing the violations as serious, the WFI initiated disciplinary proceedings and suspended all five wrestlers from wrestling-related activities conducted under its aegis for four years with immediate effect.
The latest action forms part of the federation’s wider efforts to eliminate age manipulation, a long-standing problem in age-group wrestling competitions across India.
Show-cause notice to referee commission member
In a separate development, the WFI issued a show-cause notice to referee Jaibir, a member of the WFI Referee Commission, over allegations of conflict of interest and misconduct during the Asian Games selection trials held in Lucknow on May 31.
The notice stated that Jaibir had been appointed as a referee for the trials and was officiating on the mat used for Greco-Roman bouts. During the event, his son, Ronak Dahiya, competed in the 130kg Greco-Roman category.
According to the federation, Jaibir removed his referee kit during the final bout of the 130kg event and took on the role of coach for his son while still remaining associated with the competition as an appointed referee.
The WFI said such conduct amounted to a serious conflict of interest and violated the principles of neutrality, impartiality and professional ethics expected of a technical official.
The federation has directed Jaibir to submit a written explanation by June 10 explaining why disciplinary action should not be taken against him.
As Jaibir is currently officiating at the third Ranking Tournament in Mongolia, which concludes on June 9, the WFI has allowed him to continue performing his duties there. However, he will be placed under temporary suspension after the tournament until the federation reaches a final decision.
The WFI reiterated that officials are required to disclose any potential conflicts of interest and recuse themselves from responsibilities that could compromise the integrity and fairness of competitions.
With PTI Inputs
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Feroz Khan has been covering sports for over 12 years now and is currently working with Network18 as Principal Correspondent. He embarked on his journey in 2011 and has since acquired vast experience …Read More
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