The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) on Friday lifted the suspension on Olympic medallist Aman Sehrawat and junior grappler Neha Sangwan. The duo was banned for turning up overweight at major international championships earlier this year. The latest development in the matter means that both wrestlers will now be allowed to enter the auction for the next edition of Pro Wrestling League (PWL).
For the unversed, the action was taken on Aman Sehrawat, the Paris Olympics bronze medal winner, for being overweight during the World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia. On the other hand, Neha was suspended after she was disqualified from the Junior Worlds in Samokov, Bulgaria.
Both wrestlers were served show-cause notices on September 22 and August 25, respectively, for being overweight during their major championships. Accordingly, Aman responded to the notice on September 28, while Neha also registered her response to the show-cause notice on September 18. The coaches appointed for the event were also served notices after the incident.
Aman and Neha both assured WFI that such violations won't recur
In their respective responses, both Aman Sehrawat and Neha Sangwan assured the Wrestling Federation of India in writing that the incident was their first time lapse and assured WFI that such violations would not recur. A meeting of the WFI Disciplinary Committee was convened on November 13, where they examined their replies and noted that both athletes have a strong track record of performances at the international level. The committee also recommended a lenient view in light of their past achievements.
WFI president Sanjay Kumar Singh accepted the recommendation and issued the order lifting suspension and allowing them to participate in future competitions. The federation, however, cautioned that any repeat offence relating to weight-management or discipline would attract "stricter disciplinary action."
