Sports

Sports Ministry Lifts Suspension on Wrestling Federation of India

Published

11 months ago

March 12, 2025

The Union Sports Ministry has lifted the 14-month suspension of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), restoring its status as a National Sports Federation (NSF) and allowing it to resume activities such as selection trials for the upcoming Asian Championship in Amman.

The WFI had been derecognised on December 24, 2023, shortly after Sanjay Singh was elected as the new chief. The decision was based on allegations of governance lapses and procedural integrity issues involving the newly elected body, which was reportedly influenced by former officials, undermining the National Sports Code. Consequently, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) was tasked with establishing an ad-hoc committee to oversee the Federation’s operations.

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Sanjay Singh faced challenges from the outset of his tenure due to his connections with former chief Brij Bhushan Singh. Singh has been accused by prominent wrestlers, including Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, and Bajrang Punia, of sexually exploiting junior wrestlers, leading to a protest at Jantar Mantar in January 2023 where they demanded his arrest and a thorough restructuring of the WFI.

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Adding to the controversy, Singh’s administration announced the organization of Under-15 and Under-20 National Championships in Nandini Nagar, Gonda, known as Brij Bhushan Singh’s stronghold. This choice of venue was contentious due to the former BJP MP’s ongoing sexual harassment charges.

In a statement released on Monday, the ministry confirmed that the WFI has complied with the necessary measures, leading to the decision to lift the suspension for the greater good of the sport and athletes. A verification committee was formed after complaints suggested that the WFI was still operating from Brij Bhushan’s residence; however, the committee found that the WFI had moved its office to East Vinod Nagar in New Delhi.

Given the importance of having an efficient governing body for Indian wrestlers’ prospects at the 2026 Asian Games and the 2028 Olympic Games, the ministry acted to end the suspension.

The ministry’s directives also mandated that the newly formed WFI committee ensure complete disassociation from any individuals not elected as office bearers, including suspended or terminated officials. They stressed the importance of maintaining a balance of power among elected officials and remaining separate from those previously suspended.

“The Executive Committee of the WFI must provide an undertaking in this regard within four weeks. Failure to comply will result in appropriate legal action, including actions under the Sports Code,” the statement noted.

Additionally, the Sports Ministry emphasized the need for the WFI to maintain transparency in wrestler selection processes.

“The WFI must ensure that all selections for international events are conducted in a free, fair, and transparent manner, adhering to the current regulations outlined by the Sports Code and the latest instructions from the United World Wrestling (UWW),” it added.

The WFI’s immediate challenge will be selecting wrestlers for the Asian Championship set to take place in Amman, Jordan, from March 25.

Essential Recognition for WFI

In response to the ministry’s announcement, Sports Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya stated that recognizing the WFI was vital for enabling Indian wrestlers to participate in upcoming competitions, as withholding their participation would be unjust to the athletes.

“In accordance with the High Court order, it was imperative to recognize the WFI to facilitate our wrestlers’ participation in the Asian Championship and World Championship. Failure to do so would have jeopardized the future of our nation’s wrestlers,” Dr. Mandaviya told reporters.

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Sports

T20 World Cup | Pakistan Edge Past Netherlands in a Close Contest

Published

9 hours ago

February 7, 2026

Namma Kudla

Colombo: The T20 World Cup began today with an exciting match between Pakistan and the Netherlands. Pakistan secured a narrow three-wicket victory despite a strong bowling performance. However, the top-order batters failed to deliver. With this win, Pakistan made a positive start to the 10th edition of the tournament.

After losing the toss, the Netherlands batted first at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo. The team was bowled out for 147 runs in 19.5 overs. Pakistan chased the modest target and scored 148 runs for the loss of seven wickets in 19.3 overs.

Pakistan started aggressively, but the Netherlands slowed their progress. Pakistan lost four wickets for 98 runs. Soon, they were in trouble at 114 for seven. Faheem Ashraf played a crucial role at the end and guided the team to victory.

For Pakistan, Sahibzada Farhan scored 47 runs, while Saim Ayub added 24 runs. Faheem Ashraf contributed an important 29 runs. The rest of the batters failed to score big. Star batter Babar Azam disappointed fans by scoring only 15 runs off 18 balls.

Earlier, Netherlands captain Scott Edwards scored 37 runs. Bas de Leede made 30 runs, Colin Ackermann added 20, and Michael Levitt scored 24 runs. The remaining batters were dismissed for low scores.

Sports

India Clinch Record Sixth Under-19 World Cup Title

Published

13 hours ago

February 7, 2026

Namma Kudla

Sports: India defeated England by 100 runs to win the ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2026 final at the Harare Sports Club. The victory marked India’s sixth title, making them the most successful team in the tournament’s history.

India batted first and posted a massive total of 411 for 9 in 50 overs. The innings was powered by 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi, who smashed a record-breaking 175 runs off just 80 balls. His knock included 15 fours and 15 sixes and became the highest individual score ever in an Under-19 World Cup final.

Suryavanshi also shared a crucial 142-run partnership with captain Ayush Mhatre, who scored 53 runs. Their strong batting display helped India set a daunting target of 412 for England.

England tried to fight back in the chase, with Caleb Falconer scoring 115 and Ben Dawkins adding 66. However, the team was eventually bowled out for 311, handing India a comfortable victory.

Suryavanshi was named Player of the Match and Player of the Tournament for his historic performance. The triumph once again highlighted India’s dominance in youth cricket on the global stage.

Sports

Storm in the First Over: RCB Create New WPL Record

Published

3 weeks ago

January 17, 2026

Namma Kudla

Royal Challengers Bengaluru created history in the Women’s Premier League by scoring the highest number of runs in the first over of a match. RCB scored a massive 23 runs in the opening over, setting a new WPL record.

This historic moment took place during the match against Gujarat Giants at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. Gujarat Giants bowler Renuka Singh Thakur conceded 23 runs in the first over, making it the most expensive opening over in WPL history.

Renuka began the over with a wide delivery. The ball went past the wicketkeeper and crossed the boundary, resulting in five runs. RCB batter Grace Harris then took charge of the over. She smashed four consecutive boundaries, putting the Gujarat Giants under pressure.

During the over, Renuka Singh bowled two more wides, adding extra runs to the total. On the final delivery of the over, Grace Harris struck another boundary. This completed a dramatic and record-breaking first over for RCB.

With this, Renuka Singh Thakur recorded the most expensive first over ever bowled in the Women’s Premier League. The previous record was held by Tanuja Kanwar. She had conceded 21 runs in the first over while playing for Gujarat Giants against Mumbai Indians in the 2023 season.

In the same match, Royal Challengers Bengaluru batted first and put up a strong total. RCB scored 182 runs for the loss of seven wickets in 20 overs. The team showed aggressive batting throughout the innings.

Gujarat Giants chased the target but failed to keep up with the required run rate. They were bowled out for 150 runs in 18.5 overs. As a result, Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the match by 32 runs.

This victory strengthened RCB’s position in the tournament and added a historic achievement to the Women’s Premier League records.