UWW lifts suspension on India, asks WFI not to discriminate against protesting wrestlers
New Delhi, Feb 13: Wrestling's world governing body on Tuesday lifted the provisional suspension on India but directed the national federation to provide written guarantees that there would be no discriminatory action against the protesting trio of Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik.
The suspension was imposed by United World Wrestling (UWW) on August 23 last year after the national federation failed to hold elections in time.
"The UWW Bureau met on February 9 to review the suspension among other topics and considering all the elements and information, it decided to lift the suspension," the world body said in a statement.
"The WFI has to immediately provide UWW with written guarantees that all wrestlers will be considered for participation without any discrimination in all WFI events, in particular trials for the Olympic Games and any other major national and international events.
"This non-discrimination includes the three athletes who protested against alleged wrongdoings by the former President (Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh)," it asserted.
The suspension had followed days of protest against the then WFI President for alleged acts of sexual harassment and corruption. The trio of Punia, Malik and Phogat had taken to the streets to lodge their protest and were often seen breaking down while pleading for action against Singh. The legal proceedings against Singh are ongoing at this point.
The lifting of the ban means that Indian wrestlers will now be able to compete under the country's flag at the next UWW event.
"The UWW Disciplinary Chamber (on August 23 last year) decided that it had sufficient grounds to impose the provisional suspension on the body as the situation in the federation prevailed for at least six months," the press release stated.
The world body also asked the WFI to re-convene the elections of its Athletes' Commission.
"The candidates for this commission shall be active athletes or retired for no longer than four years. The voters shall be exclusively athletes," it ordered.
"These elections shall take place during trials or any senior national championships where this operation can take place, but no later than July 1, 2024," it added.
The world body said it will remain in touch with the wrestlers and follow up with them on the developments in the coming days.
In the WFI elections held in December last year Sanjay Singh, a close aide of the former President, was elected the new head.
The federation was suspended within days of taking charge by the sports ministry which cited violation of the national sports code as the reason. It appointed an ad-hoc committee to run the sport.
The WFI rejected the sports ministry's decision and has been locked in a turf war with the ad-hoc committee.
The two bodies held separate national championships recently, causing confusion within the wrestling community.
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No clarity on US-Iran talks as Islamabad stays under lockdown
Islamabad (PTI): Large parts of Pakistan's capital remain under a tight security lockdown for over a week on Saturday, even as uncertainty persisted over the proposed second round of talks between the US and Iran.
Arterial roads leading into Islamabad are sealed, while the Red Zone, housing key government buildings and diplomatic missions, remains under a strict security cordon.
In the adjacent commercial 'Blue Area', markets are deserted, cafes are running short of supplies, and public transport disruptions with no service at bus terminals have left commuters stranded.
For residents, uncertainty has become the hardest part. Islamabad is a city of transients, where many residents work during the week and return to family homes at the weekend.
This is the second lockdown in recent weeks. Islamabad was earlier sealed on April 11 for talks between the US and Iranian delegations that ended without a deal. The city briefly reopened before restrictions were reimposed as Pakistan prepared to host another round of engagements, which has yet to materialise.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived here late Friday for engagements with the Pakistani leadership. He was received by senior officials, including Army chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, foreign minister Ishaq Dar and interior minister Mohsin Naqvi.
However, there is no clarity on whether direct talks between Washington and Tehran will take place during the visit.
"No meeting is planned to take place between Iran and the US. Iran's observations would be conveyed to Pakistan," Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said in a social media post on Saturday.
He said the Iranian delegation arrived in Islamabad "for an official visit" and Araghchi will be "meeting with Pakistani high-level officials in concert with their ongoing mediation and good offices for ending American-imposed war of aggression and the restitution of peace in our region".
As the Iranian team landed in Islamabad, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that US Special Envoy on the Middle East Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's adviser Jared Kushner would be leaving for Pakistan on Saturday "to engage in direct talks" with representatives of the Iranian delegation.
“Everyone will be on standby to fly to Pakistan if necessary, but first, Steve and Jared will be going over there to report back to the president, the vice president and the rest of the team,” she said.
However, the US team has not yet arrived.
Meanwhile, Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Dar, in a social media post, expressed hope for "meaningful engagements" between the two warring parties to promote regional peace and stability.
The Foreign Office here said Iranian foreign minister Araghchi will hold meetings with Pakistan’s senior leadership to discuss the latest regional developments as well as ongoing efforts for regional peace and stability.
"Following key discussions with the Pakistani mediation team, a second round of peace talks between the United States and Iran is expected to be held in Islamabad on Saturday and Sunday," a government official said.
He said a US logistics and security team is already present in Islamabad to facilitate the negotiation process.
Araghchi, before leaving for Islamabad, said that he was embarking on a timely tour of Islamabad, Muscat, and Moscow, and the purpose of his visits is to "closely coordinate with our partners on bilateral matters and consult on regional developments".
"Our neighbours are our priority," he said.
The first round of US-Iran talks held on April 11 and 12 failed to produce a breakthrough, prompting a flurry of diplomatic efforts by host Pakistan to cool tensions and revive hopes for another round of dialogue.
On Tuesday, Trump extended the two-week ceasefire with Iran indefinitely to give Tehran more time to prepare a unified proposal to end the war, just hours before the truce was set to expire.
The Iran war began on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes.
