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The Bombay High Court upheld the Wrestling Federation of India's decision to de-affiliate the Maharashtra State Wrestling Association and recognise the Maharashtra Rajya Kustigir Sangh as the state's affiliated wrestling body. The court dismissed MSWA's challenge, which alleged the decision was arbitrary and procedurally flawed. A detailed copy of the judgment is awaited.

Mumbai, June 15: The Bombay High Court on Monday upheld the de-affiliation of the Maharashtra State Wrestling Association (MSWA) from the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), dismissing the state body’s appeal against the decision.

A bench of Justices Bharati Dangre and Manjusha Deshpande rejected the MSWA’s challenge to the WFI’s January 1, 2023 decision to withdraw its recognition and replace it with the Maharashtra Rajya Kustigir Sangh (MRKS), headed by former BJP MP Rajendra Tadas. A detailed copy of the judgment is awaited.

MSWA Challenge To WFI Action
Before the court, the MSWA argued that its de-affiliation was arbitrary and illegal as the decision had been taken by the WFI’s Oversight Committee rather than its Executive Committee. The WFI, however, defended the move.

Background Of The Dispute
The dispute traces back to June 30, 2022, when the WFI’s national executive committee, then headed by BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, dissolved the elected executive committee of the MSWA, citing its alleged failure to conduct certain tournaments. The MSWA challenged the decision, contending that it was arbitrary.