04 June,2026 08:50 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
WFI ban five wrestlers for age fraud (File pic)
The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) handed four-year bans to five wrestlers, including U20 Asian Championship trials victor Deepanshu, after a verification check revealed they had used forged birth certificates. This decision is part of the governing body's intensified crackdown on age fraud within the sport.
Deepanshu, who finished first in the men's 65kg freestyle category on Wednesday, has been removed from the roster. Pawan Balaji Dhayagude will replace him for the continental championship, which kicks off on June 27 in Pattaya, Thailand.
The other penalised athletes include Tanuj Antil, Baljot Singh, Nikhil Dalal, and Saket Drall. Drall, who had advanced to the 86kg trial finals, was disqualified before the final bout. He was replaced by Sahil Dalal, who went on to secure a spot on the national team.
In an official directive, WFI President Sanjay Kumar Singh stated that the board is taking a strict stance against competitors who present false documents to qualify for the National Wrestling Championships. The WFI noted that multiple cases of age fraud had come to light over the last few months, prompting suspensions and heavy media coverage.
Despite prior disciplinary actions, the federation observed that certain athletes continued to try entering junior events using alternative or altered paperwork. A cross-verification check with the Registrar of Births and Deaths of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation ultimately confirmed that the records for these five individuals did not exist in official government registries.
In a separate development, the WFI served a show-cause notice to Jaibir, a member of its referee commission, over allegations of professional misconduct and conflict of interest during the Asian Games selection trials held in Lucknow on May 31.
Jaibir was assigned to officiate the Greco-Roman matches on the mat where his son, Ronak Dahiya, was competing in the 130kg division. The WFI alleged that during the final match of that category, Jaibir discarded his official referee attire to coach his son from the sidelines while still technically on duty.
The federation condemned this behaviour as a clear violation of professional ethics. Jaibir has been instructed to provide a formal written explanation by June 10.
(With PTI inputs)
