NEW DELHI: United World Wrestling (UWW) has asked all the national federations under it to stop communication with the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) in the wake of visa denial of Pakistani shooters in the recent World Cup, Indian media reported on Tuesday.
The denial of visa to Pakistani shooters had led to the International Olympic Committee suspending discussions with India for hosting future global events.
UWW recommends to all the affiliated and associated national wrestling federations to suspended their discussions or relations with the Indian wrestling federation, the world body wrote in its letter to national federations, according to Indian daily The Indian Express.
The denial of visas to Pakistani shooters in the Delhi World Cup last month has jeopardised Indias chances of hosting the Olympics or any global event with the IOC suspending all such discussions with the country and recommending that no big tournament be awarded to it.
The IOC also revoked the two Olympic quotas on offer in the mens 25m Rapid Fire Pistol competition of the event.
It remains to be seen to what extent the UWW directive would affect Indian wrestlers.
Meanwhile, the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has said that it will seek Indian government guarantees to ensure that political tensions with Pakistan do not lead to international events being taken away from the country.
According to Indian sports website sports.ndtv.com , the WFI President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh said the United World Wrestling’s diktat to international federations, asking them to snap communication with India, might jeopardise India’s chances of hosting the Junior Asian Championships in July.
“Today we will write to the government of India to find a solution to the matter. Wrestling and wrestlers can’t suffer. We are drafting a letter to urge the government to ensure that sports does not suffer,” said Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who was recently elected as WFI President for a third term.
“We will do our best to ensure that the junior championship remains in India. A solution has to be found. I have not read the UWW directive as yet but whatever it is, no sport should suffer for no fault,” he added.
Published in Dawn, March 6th, 2019