Wrestler Neha Sangwan has been suspended and dropped from the World Championships squad by the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) for being overweight at the recently concluded U20 World Wrestling Championships in Bulgaria.
18-year-old Neha was supposed to compete in the 59kg category at the U20 Worlds but she was overweight by 600 grams more than the permissible limit before her first round bout against Ella Marie of Canada. She was disqualified by the organizers and India went unrepresented in the category.
Neha, who won the trials for the senior World Championships, will be replaced by Sarika Malik in the 59kg category of the squad. The Worlds are scheduled to be held in Zagreb, Croatia from September 13-21.
“She has been suspended for consistent weight management issues. This is not the first time that she has encountered an issue with her weight. Regulations at the World Championships are very strict and she was way above the permissible limit,” an official close to the development told The Indian Express.
“This is not an isolated incident. A similar lapse was recorded during last year’s Under-20 World Wrestling Championship in Spain as well as in the current year’s Ranking Tournament in Hungary.
“Your repeated negligence and inability to maintain professional discipline have adversely impacted the performance and reputation of the Indian Wrestling Team at the international level. In view of the above, and after careful consideration, the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has decided to impose strict disciplinary action. Accordingly, you are hereby suspended from all wrestling related activities, both at the national and international level, for a period of two (2) years with immediate effect,” stated the WFI letter accessed by The Indian Express.
Third lapse
She won a bronze medal at the 2024 U20 World Championship and this year has already won three medals at the senior level in the 57kg weight class. She won the UWW Ranking Series Mongolia Open in 57kg in May and also won in Yasar Dagu in June. Last month, she won a silver at the Ranking Series event in Budapest.
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“While she won medals at the Ranking Series, it happened because two kg tolerance is allowed at all the Ranking Series but World Championships doesn’t allow an ounce. This was her third lapse and had been warned before,” the source said.
While the punishment looks harsh on a young wrestler, the source mentioned that it can be reconsidered. “It is a tough punishment to hand out to a budding wrestler but her situation will be monitored and the suspension can end early also.”
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
