new delhi: The Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has suspended 11 grapplers for submitting fake birth certificates after the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) verified 110 such documents and maintained that there was no lapse on its part as 95 delayed registrations were done only on the orders of the SDM. The sport of wrestling has been grappling with two major issues: Overage wrestlers competing in lower age-group competitions and many trying to represent a state different from their domicile after procuring fake birth certificates. In some cases, the certificates have been issued as late as 12-15 years after the birth of the child. Suspecting foul play, WFI provided the MCD with a list of certificates for verification.
The MCD upon verification replied to WFI that it indeed sued birth certificates but maintained that the delayed registration (registration after one year of birth) is not done directly by it but under the orders of the SDM.
In several competitions, especially at the trials to pick the national junior teams, it is apparent that many wresters have entered lower age groups and hold an advantage over
their genuine rivals. agencies