New Delhi: The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has suspended 11 wrestlers for submitting fake birth certificates after MCD’s enquiry. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) verified 110 such documents and said that there was no such issue on its part as 95 delayed registrations were done on the orders of the SDM only.
Wresting in India has been grappling with two major issues one of which is overage wrestlers competing in lower age-group competitions and the other being that some trying to represent a state different from their domicile after arranging fake birth certificates.
Many of the cases that have come up during the investigation have shocked the officials of the WFI. The certificates in some cases have been issued as late as 12-15 years after the birth of the child. It is when the WFI suspected some foul play, it provided the MCD with a list of certificates for verification.
After due verification, the MCD replied to the WFI that it issued birth certificates but maintained that the delayed registration is not done directly but under the orders of the SDM. In various competitions, specially at the trials to pick the national junior teams, scores of wrestlers have entered lower age groups to have an edge over their rivals.
With Haryana being the breeding ground of wrestling in India, the competition is very tough and making the state team has become tough day after day. Scores of athletes aim to make a career in wrestling and try entering through neighbouring state Delhi by procuring fake certificates. The WFI noticed that though many wrestlers were originally from Haryana, they somehow managed to get birth certificates issued by the MCD, so that they could enter the competitions through Delhi.
(With PTI inputs)